Imperial Valley press., 1911-11-14
A Thanksgiving
Package
By SEiEELA ESTHER DUNN
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

taken all the thankfulness out of me-"
John said what he could to comfort
his wife, but there is little comfort in
such partings, and a happy family
circle had been broken by the loss of
little Molly, the baby. 1t had occurred
us many misfortunes occur from pow
erty. This is the way it happened:
Mrs. Hardwick was taken i'll when
the baby was but six months old.
John was away, and there was no
one to attend to her or the household,
and more especially the baby. who
needed more attention than any of the
family. A neighbor came in to take
charge and concluded to send Molly
away till the mother should have re-
covered. Mrs. Hardwick had an aunt
living at the next station on the rail
road, and since the aunt could. not
leave her home it was decided to send
the baby to her in the care of an ex-
press messenger. A bassinet was fit
ted out, the baby put into 1t and a
tag with the address on it of both the
shipper and the consignee tied on it.
Then the package was taken to the
messenger, who had charge of an eX-
press car, and he agreed to take it to
its destination.
Unfortunately an accident, occurred
on the railroad that spoiled all these
calculations man passing the scene
Of the accident hearing a cry from
some bushes beside the track, sought
the cause and found Molly. Near by
lay her bassinet. She was alive and
apparently unhurt. A child falls with
out resistance and is therefore much
less fable to injury than an adult. Be
sides, in this case the fall was sup
posed to have been broken by the
bushes, The finder took mp the child
and it's bassinet and carried it home to
his Wife The bassnet had fallen into
a ditch. and the address on it had been
so discolored by the water that it was
unintelligible.
Now, Molly had fallen into the hands
of a couple who had no children and
had given up all hope of having chill
dren Not knowing where to send
Molly, they concluded to keep her, at
least till they could find her parents,
and if not found they would adopt her.
After the accident the Hardwicks
learned nothing of their child. The
express messenger had been killed,
they could not learn where the baby
was at the time of the accident, and
she was never. found. But this was
not remarkable. for on one side of the
hn hnhU
might have been thrown from the car
into the water and carried away by
the current.
At any rate, there was not the slight
| est liability that Molly was alive.
and her parents mourned her as lost.
Mrs. Hardwick recovered from her i'll
ness. and the family affairs We're set
to rights. all except the return of little
Molly.
The day before Thanksgiving pity
ing friends sent the Hardwicks din
ner for the occasion. But the mourn
ing mother declared that she had not
the heart to cook it. Thanksgiving
day being holiday. John stayed at
home. but there was no rejoicing. The
children found it difficult to make a
holiday when their parents were SO
dismal At noon the little ones began
to feel hungry. and. yielding to their
importunitieS, their mother consented
! to roast turkey that had been sent
them. She had hardly got it in the
oven when there was the sound of
heavy truck stopping before the house.
A man ran up the steps and kicked at
| the door When it was opened the
cause of his kicking was apparent.
Both of the mans hands were in use.
In one he held a bassinet, in the other
| a book
"Sign for this he said.
There was a simultaneous eXclama-
ton of surprise and JOY from the fam
lily as Molly was handed in. Looking
up at her mother. she smiled and
cooed Mrs. Hardwick seized her and
clasped her to her breast
Sign for this repeated the man,
holding out the book in which he took
receipts for express matter.
| Mr. Hardwick hurriedly scratched
his name. and the expressman, run
| UIllS NON III tuc StSpS, AhouhlSu LIS
wagon and drove away.
And so it was that the Hardwicks'
| holiday was made both a day of re-
| ioiriug and of thankfulness. When
thpy sat down to dinner the baby in
It's hu ussinet was placed on the table,
and while its parents and brothers
and sisters ate turkey Molly pulled
Justify on her bottle.
An explanation came in time. One
day the couple who had taken Molly
in heard from friend of the Hard
wicks' of their loss, and it became ap-
parent that they were in possession of
the missing child. This occurred the
day before Thanksgiving, and pleas
ant surprise was arranged for the par
ents The baby was taken to an ex-
press office. where it was given in
charge of delivery man, who was in
structed to carry it to its home.
That day was remembered as the
Thanksgiving Of their lives. At any
rate, they had more to be thankful for
than ever before or afterward. Little
Nollv xyoc of%a,, raforra1 m aS tho ay :