The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1916-01-07
A WORKER
Thanksgiving Day Brought Her a
Respite
By DWIGHT NORWOOD

Ill ~ III
When the great war broke out In
Europe my little girl, Fredrica, was in
Munich studying art. I at once be-
came uneasy about her, and when I
heard Of the great number Of Ameri-
cans detained In Europe I lost my
head entirely. I wanted John to go
abroad at once and bring our daughter
home.
He endeavored to quiet me, remind
ing me that Fredrica was not the child
she had been; that it would be dificult
for him to get across, still more diff
cult to find her and much more difficult
still to get back to America. He was
worried himself, though he did not ad-
nit it to me, well knowing that we
had been able only to keep u child
supplied with sufficient funds to pay
her way from month to month without
providing anything ahead, and she had
no means to bring her home.
Week after week passed, and We
heard nothing from our chick. Worry
ing told on me bodily, and I was re-
duced to skin and bone. At last I
told John that If he did not do some
thing to end my suspense he would
lose me as well as Fredrica. He went
out al once to learn If he could get
across the ocean, and, finding that a
ship would sail next day, he took pas
sage on her and, procuring by loan
what money he would need, babe me
goodby. II have no doubt" he said.
"that Fred will be here with you be-
fore I return. Nevertheless there is
no help for It; l must go after her"
AS soon as he had gone I was half
sorry l had let him 60. Now I had the
two Of them to worry about instead Of
one. Besides, by this time ships be-
gan to come in loaded with returning
Americans. and the stories Of their
discomforts were narrowing. John
went over in an English ship, and l
worried lest he should be captured by
one Of the German war vessels at that
time rowing the sea.
When, true enough, I took up a news.
paper and saw that this had really
happened l was in despair. 1t was all
I could bear to think Of my only child
detained without means in Germany,
and now I had the additional worri-
ment Of her father carried about on the
ocean with no prospect Of being landed
anywhere, for he might be captured by
a German cruiser. and they were run.
ming the gantlet Of the enemy's cruis-
| ~~s A~Sl 4H&on 1&a mn mt &nkn nNRk fnN
months at a time.
John started abroad about the LIT
Of September. OF course he could not
communicate with me unless put
ashore. and even then he might be
landed on the other side Of the world.
in which case. the mails being inter-
rupted, 1t might take q letter months
to reach me. At that time l had
only u daughter to worry about, and
now the aus Of worriment were
tripled. I worried about Fredrica, i
worried about John, and I worried be-
cause I knew that John would worry
about me. believed that If l could
have thought Of anything else to worry
about I would have included 1t. The
only thing else there was to worry
about was myself. but that didn't trou-
BILE me a bit. And vet there was ap-
parently more cause to worry about
myself than either Of the others. for I
had lost twenty pounds and was grad
ually sinking into the grave.
November came and not q word
from either Of my absent ones. l had
intimate friends. Of course, who tried
in every way to bolster me up. My
cousin, Ellen Thompson, asked me
about a week before. Thanksgiving to
promise that I would spend the day
with her and her large family. She
said that with 80 many OF them L
would forget my troubles l told her
that ] would be more miserable in the
midst of a happy family than alone; l
would spend Thanksgiving In my own
home. enduring my loneliness as best I
could.
The day before Thanksgiving l went
around to Ellen Thompson's to ask II
she had see in any Of the papers q
notice Of the landing Of the persons
that the German cruiser had captured.
why. Ellen. what In the world are
you going to do with two t~urkeys" I
exclaimed. noticing a pair Of gobblers
Just delivered from the market.
"Oh. we've so many mouths to I'LL"
she said. that one turkey won't do"
It seemed to me that she had ordered
provisions enough to last her a fort:
night. But ] said no more about 1t, and
aimee Ellen said that she hadn't seen
anything to comfort me in the papers ]
went home. I carried more worry with
me. for before l left Ellen she put her
arms about me and smiled at me. l.
reckOned that she was ~concealing some
bad news from me.
The next morning. Thanksgiving day.
l had scarcely finished dressing when.
hearing a vehicle stop before the house,
] looked out through the window, and
who should ] see but John. alighting
from a cab! And the next thing l saw
was John handing out Fredrica. I ran
downstairs at the risk Of my neck.
and. meeting them at the front door. !
together they kept me from falling on
the door In q faint.
Soon after their arrival Ellen brought /