Telegrams Always Bring Bad News
“It’s only for a little while,” my father explained the day he left. “I’ll be back before your birthday.” But my father left our home in Cleveland, Ohio for New York City months ago. Today is July 6, 1892… four days from my birthday.
I’ve heard my mother and father discussing tragic railroad accidents many times, so when my father revealed that he was taking a train to New York, I was shocked. “What about all the horrible things that could happen?” I asked my father. “I’ll be fine,” he replied. “The safety of railroads has improved greatly. Since telegram lines run on railroad tracks, very few accidents happen on railroads anymore.”
Suddenly, I heard a knock at the front door. Me and my little sister, Margaret, …show more content…
“Let me read it,” she said.
“You’re only five, you can’t read yet,” I informed her. She frowned and sat down. I began to read it. It read,
Mary. I won’t make it home for your birthday this year. Things here at the factory are very busy. I would like to wish you a Happy Birthday.
I sighed and set it down on the table. “Looks like Father won’t make it home any time soon,” I said.
Later, when Margaret was playing with her dolls, I slipped away to Mother’s bedroom. Mother was sitting at her desk, and she appeared to be writing something. “Hello,” I greeted her. She looked up from whatever she was writing abruptly. “Oh! Mary, you startled me,” Mother said. She set down her pen and stared at her paper. I asked, “What are you writing?”
“Just a letter,” she replied.
“A letter? Why not a telegram?”
“Those can be expensive. They charge for each word, and I have a lot to say. We just can’t afford that right now.”
“Oh,” I looked down at my feet. “Can I read it?” Mother hesitated, but said after a second, “Sure.”
I walked over to her desk and stared at the letter. She had only written a few words (each was in the most perfect cursive I’ve ever seen), but I could already tell it was for Father. “I’m just so worried about him,” Mother admitted. “Factories can be dangerous nowadays. I hope he’s going to be …show more content…
Sometimes, my friends told me about ones they have received that were for birthday wishes, or an announcement of a family member’s birth. I’ve only received one in my life, but it was bad. My mother continued, “Your father has fallen very ill.”
My face fell. “What do you mean ‘ill’? Is he going to get better? The doctors will fix him up, right?”
My mother just shook her head. “I… I don’t really know, Mary,” she said. Mother got up and returned to her bedroom. I sat down at the table and began to cry. Margaret burst in the room. “Mary! What’s the matter?” she asked, hugging me. I decided that she was too young to fully understand what was going on. “Father is staying in New York a little longer,” was all I said.
August 28 was the first day of school. Much time had passed since we heard word of Father’s illness. The telegram was so short, it didn’t have room to give us any information about his condition. I was beginning to seriously worry about Father’s
“It’s only for a little while,” my father explained the day he left. “I’ll be back before your birthday.” But my father left our home in Cleveland, Ohio for New York City months ago. Today is July 6, 1892… four days from my birthday.
I’ve heard my mother and father discussing tragic railroad accidents many times, so when my father revealed that he was taking a train to New York, I was shocked. “What about all the horrible things that could happen?” I asked my father. “I’ll be fine,” he replied. “The safety of railroads has improved greatly. Since telegram lines run on railroad tracks, very few accidents happen on railroads anymore.”
Suddenly, I heard a knock at the front door. Me and my little sister, Margaret, …show more content…
“Let me read it,” she said.
“You’re only five, you can’t read yet,” I informed her. She frowned and sat down. I began to read it. It read,
Mary. I won’t make it home for your birthday this year. Things here at the factory are very busy. I would like to wish you a Happy Birthday.
I sighed and set it down on the table. “Looks like Father won’t make it home any time soon,” I said.
Later, when Margaret was playing with her dolls, I slipped away to Mother’s bedroom. Mother was sitting at her desk, and she appeared to be writing something. “Hello,” I greeted her. She looked up from whatever she was writing abruptly. “Oh! Mary, you startled me,” Mother said. She set down her pen and stared at her paper. I asked, “What are you writing?”
“Just a letter,” she replied.
“A letter? Why not a telegram?”
“Those can be expensive. They charge for each word, and I have a lot to say. We just can’t afford that right now.”
“Oh,” I looked down at my feet. “Can I read it?” Mother hesitated, but said after a second, “Sure.”
I walked over to her desk and stared at the letter. She had only written a few words (each was in the most perfect cursive I’ve ever seen), but I could already tell it was for Father. “I’m just so worried about him,” Mother admitted. “Factories can be dangerous nowadays. I hope he’s going to be …show more content…
Sometimes, my friends told me about ones they have received that were for birthday wishes, or an announcement of a family member’s birth. I’ve only received one in my life, but it was bad. My mother continued, “Your father has fallen very ill.”
My face fell. “What do you mean ‘ill’? Is he going to get better? The doctors will fix him up, right?”
My mother just shook her head. “I… I don’t really know, Mary,” she said. Mother got up and returned to her bedroom. I sat down at the table and began to cry. Margaret burst in the room. “Mary! What’s the matter?” she asked, hugging me. I decided that she was too young to fully understand what was going on. “Father is staying in New York a little longer,” was all I said.
August 28 was the first day of school. Much time had passed since we heard word of Father’s illness. The telegram was so short, it didn’t have room to give us any information about his condition. I was beginning to seriously worry about Father’s