The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-02-25
Bishop Potts, of Utah.
By MAX ADLER,

By MAX ADLER.
Bishop Potts, OF Salt Lake City, wa
the husband of three wives and the hap
py father of fifteen interesting children
Early in the winter the Bishop deter
mined that his little ones should have
good time on Christmas, so he concluded
to take trip down to San Francisco t.
see what he could find in the shape o
toys with which to crafty and amusc
them. The good Bishop packed his car
pet-bag, embraced Mrs, Potts one by one
and kissed each of her afFectionately, anC
started upon his journey.
He was gone a little more than week
when he came back with fifteen beauti
ful mouth.organs in his valise for his dar
lings. He got out of the train at Sal
Lake, thinking how joyous and exhler
ating it would be on Christmas morning
when the whole fifteen OF those mouth
organs should be in operation upon fifteer
different tunes at the same moment
But just as he entered the depot he saw
a group Of women standing in the ladies
room apparently waiting for him. A,
soon as he approached, the whole twenty
Of them rushed up, threw their arm:
about his neck and kissed him, excaim
ing
'Oh, Theodore, we are $3.50 glad you
have come back Welcome home Wei
come, dear, dear Theodore Welcome
once more to the bosom Of your family !
and then the entire score of them fell up.
pom his neck and cried over his shirt
front and mussed him.
The Bishop seemed surprised and en-.
barrassed. Struggling to disengage him.
self, he blushed and said:
Really, ladies, this kind of thing is
well onough--it is interesting and all that
but there must be some kind of a--tha,
is, an awkward sort of a-excuse me-
ladies, but there seems to be, as 1t We're
a slight misunderstanding about the-I
am Bishop Potts
I'VE know it, we know it, dearest, '
they exclaimed in chorus, 'an1 we are 50
glad to see you safe, safe at home. We
have all been right well while you were
away, love-
1T graties me- remarked the Bishop,
'to learn that none of you have been a
prey to disease. | am filled with blissful
serenity when | contemplate the fact
but really | do not understand why you
should rush into this railway station AMI
hug me because your livers are active ami
your digestion good. The precedent i
bad,-i+ is dangerous.
'Oh, bat we didn't = they cxclaimo
in chorus. we came here to welconia
you, because you are our husband
Pardon me, but there must be som
little-that is to say, as it were, | shoul
think not. Women, you have mistake
your man =
'Oh no, dearest = they shouted we
were married to you while you were
away y
What" exclaimed the Bishop, 'you
don't mean to say that
Yes love. Our husband, William
Brown, died on Monday, and on Thurs
day Brigham had vision ia which hi
was directed to seal US to you and SC
he performed the ceremony at once by
proxy
'Th- -th.th-under observed the bish
op, in a general sort ofa way.
And, darling, we are all living with
you now-we and the dear children
Children children exclaimed Bish
op Potts, turning pale, you don't mean
to say that there is a pack of children
too p
Yes, love, but only one hundred and
twenty-five, not counting the eight twin,
and the triplct.'
Observation-Disclosures d you say ?
gasped the bishop, in cold perspiration
'one hundred and twenty-five One hun
drcd and twenty-five children and twenty
more wives 1t is too much it is awful!
and the bishop sat down and groanci
while the late Mrs. Brown, the bride
stood around in semicircle, and fanncd
him with her bonnets, all except the red
haired one, and she in her trepidatioI
made futile effort to fan him with tht
coal scuttle.
But after awhile the bishop becamt
rcconciled to his new alliance, knowin
well that protests would be unavaiing
so he walked home. holding as many o
the little hands Of the bride as he cou
conveniently grasp in his, while the rel
haired woman carried his umbrella AM
marched in front Of the parade to remove
Instructions and to scare off small boys
When the Bishop reached the house
he went around among the cradles whiot
filled the back parlor and the two second
story rooms, and attempted with suct
earnestness to become acquainted with
his new sons and daughters that he Sc
the whole one hundred and twenty-fv,
and the twins to crying, while his OWL
original fifteen stood around and joine'
in the chorus. Then the Bishop wen
out and sat on the garden fence to whittl'
stick and solemnly think, while Mrs
Potts distributed herself around in TWEEN
, ty-three different places and soothed IN,
children. 1t occurred to the Bish
while he mused, out there on the fence
, that he had not enough mouth.organs t,
90 around among the children as tn
family now stood and 50, rather thai
seem to be partial, he determined to g
. back to Sau francisco for one hundred
and forty -four more.
> So tho Bishop re-packcd his carpet-ba
!, and began again to BID farewell to hi
,, family, He tenderly kissed all Of Mr.;
! Potts who were at hcme and started 70
the depot, while Mrs. Potts stood at tn
yariols windows and waved her handker
d chiefs at him-all except the woman wit
Al ...... Ln;. o,l sho ia n "a of ohcanI