The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-06-10
Expressing the Baby.
TOrigtnaI.l


wife OF Dan Dolittle, carpenter, her
baby was in care of her sister in Rose
field, fifty miles away. AT the moth
er's recovery, the father having
lob in Rosefield and not wishing to
spend the time himself on the journey
back. il occurred TO him TO send the
child home under care of the baggage
man of the train, whom he knew we'll
He found little chest that would dc
very veil for travelling crib. His sis
ter lined it with blankets, put feather
pillow in the bottom and when all was
ready deposited the child. Dan put on
a tag as a precaution in case the con-
tents fell into other hands than the
bagga geman. addressing the chest TO
Mrs Daniel DolittIe, Birkville. This
Side Up With Care. Glass There was
no preyarication in marking it glass,
for the baby's bottle was there ready
for use There We're a fat hook and
staple to hold the lid down when
closed. but it was not intended that the
lid should be. closed. Just before train
time the father carried his baby TO the
station and turned it over To the bag
gageman. who received it willingly, set
it on trunk and put the nipple on
the bottle into the youngsters mouth.
An hour later Dan Dolittle saw an
extra" announcing that bridge had
broken under the train on which he
had sent his baby and let the first two
cars into the river. He ran to the sta
ton and, getting on a relief train. went
TO the scene of the accident. The bag
gage car was partly immersed, the bag
gageman had been killed or drowned.
and there was no sign of the baby.
Dan worked all the afternoon NOV
ing trunks and hunting for his child's
body without avail. While he was at
work his wife. who knew the baby
was on the wrecked train, arrived. and
he was obliged to announce to her that
the child had doubtless been thrown
out of the car door. which was open at
the time of the accident, and buried I'M
der the car or heavy trunks at the bot
tom of the river The poor woman
was hysterical. Dan begged her to go
home. but she would not till she knew
something of the manner of her baby's
death So he let her stay till the
wreck had been removed, but as there
We're still no indications of what had
become Of the child husband and wife
went to their desolate home broken
hearted.
A month passed without any develop
ments as to whether the baby had been
crushed or drowned. This uncertainty
worked upon the mothers mind, and
there was no comfort for her. Had
her child died In its bed she would
shock in time. But she brooded over
the poor little things horrible taking
off till Dan began to fear that he would
have to send her TO a sanitarium.
One morning there was heavy rat
tie of wagon wheels on the street be-
fore the door and a sharp ring at the
bell. Mrs. Dolittle answered the CALL
and an express wagon driver handed
her book and a pencil to sign for a
package She signed wonderingly, and
the man delivered an oblong box. On
it was tag with the address: Mrs.
Daniel Dolittle, Birkville. This Side Up
With Care. Glass" Mrs. Dolittle I'M
hooked the lid and opened it.
Mother of heaven she exclaimed
and forthwith tainted.
1t happened that it was noon. and
Dan was momentarily expected home
from his work How long it was after
the receipt of the package before he
arrived cannot be known, but it was
probably very soon. There in the hall
was his wife lying on the floor uncon-
scious beside the identical chest in
which he had placed her child before
sending it homeward, and in it was
that child, looking as rudy as an au-
tumn apple. pulling away on bottle.
If Dan hadn't been a man he would
probably have tainted too. AS it was,
he rushed for water. sprinkled it in his
wife's face and brought her to. By
this time her senses were ready to re-
ceive the impression that her baby was
alive and well. She snatched it from
its travelling crib and Rugged it to her
breast, covering it with kisses Then
she put it back and covered Dan with
kisses. Then she cried a little and
laughed a little, never for q moment
wondering how her child could come
back to her in this strange manner.
But Dan, spying note in the chest,
opened it and read it. It explained
matters.
A short distance below the scene of
the accident lived an ignorant. stupid
German couple. Neither of them heard
of the bridge breaking down. and if
they had they would never have con-
nected it with what followed. The
German was coming across the river
in his punt when he saw a floating
box The water was smooth, and the
box sailed along right side up. The
man took it in, pulled out the hook,
raised the lid and saw baby. It was
unconscious, and he supposed 1t dead
Taking it to his hut on the bank. his
wife gave it some warm milk. and it
revived The woman, who was child
less, believed the Lord had sent her
the baby and would not give it up
She kept it a month, when her hus-
band discovering that it was costing
him a good deal of milk and fearing
they might get into trouble If they
kept 1t, prevailed upon her to send it
on according to the address on the
tag. So he took IL TO an express Office,
h rhn al