The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1873-01-24

Children children - exclaimed
Bishop Potts, turning pale; "you don't
mean to say that there is pack of chill
dren too?"
Yes, love, but only one hundred and
twenty-five, not counting the eight twins
and the triplet"
"Wha-wha-wha-what d you say 2"
gasped the Bishop, in cold Precipitation;
lone hundred and twenty-five! One
hundred and twenty-five children and
/ twenty more wives 1t Is too much-it is
awful !" and the Bishop sat down and
groaned, while the late Mrs. Brown, the
bride, stood around in a semicircle, and
famed him with her bonnets, all except
the red-haired one, and she in her trep-
idation made futile effort to fan him
with the coal-scuttle.
But after while the Bishop became
rcconciled to his new alliance, knowing
well that protests would be unavailing :;
SO he walked home. holding as many of
the little hands of the bride as he could
conveniently grasp in his, while the red
/ haired woman carried his umbrella and
marched in front of the parade TO remove
obstructions and to scare off small boys.
/ When the Bishop reached the house,
he went around among the cradles which
/ filled the back parlor and the two second
story rooms, and attempted with such
earnestness to become acquainted with
his new sons and daughters that he set
the whole one hundred and twenty-five
and the twins to crying, while his own
original fifteen stood around and joined
in the chorus. Then the Bishop went
ont and sat on the garden fence to whit
tie stick and solemnly think, while Mrs.
Potts distributed herself around in
twenty-three places and soothed the chill
dren. 1t occurred to the Bishop while
he mused, out there on the fence, that
he had not enough mouth-organs to go
around the children as the family now
stood and so, rather than seem to be
partial, he determined to go back to San
Francisco for one hundred and forty-four
more.
So the Bishop repacked his carpet-bag
and began again to bid farwell to his
family. He tenderly kissed all of Mrs
Potts who were at home, and started for
the depot, while Mrs. Potts stood at the
various windows and waved her hand
kerchiefs at him-all except the woman
with the red hair, and she, in fit of
absent nt-mindedness, held one of the twins
by the leg and brandished it at Potts as
he flew down the street
The Bishop reached San Francisco,
completed his purchases, and was inst
about to get on the train with his IA
mouth organs, when telegram was
handed him 1t contained information
to the effect that the auburn-haired Mrs
Potts had just had daughter. This
induced the Bishop to return to the city
for the purpose of purchasing an addi-
tional organ.
On the following Saturday he returned
home. AS he approached his house a
swarm of young children flew ont of the
front gate and ran toward him, shouting,
"There's pa Here comes pa! Oh,
pa, but we're glad to see you! Hurrah
for pa " etc.
The Bishop looked at the children as
they focked around him and clung to
his legs and coat, and was astonished to
perceive that they were neither his nor
the late Browns. He said, "You
Youngsters have made mistake / am
not your father :" and the Bishop smiled
good-nat,redly.
"Oh, yes, you are though y screamed
the little ones in chorus.
But say L am not, said the Bishop
severely, and frowning "you ought to
be ashamed of yourselves. Don't You
know where story-tellers go? 1t is scan
dalous for you to violate the truth i'll
this manner. My name is Potts"
"Yes, we know it is, exclaimed the
children eve know it is, and so is ours,
that is our name now, too, since the we'd
ding"
"Since what wedding?" demanded
the Bishop, turning pale.
Why, mas wedding, of course. She
was married yesterday to You by Mr..
Young, and we are all living at your house
now with our little brothers and sis
| ters."
The Bishop sat down on the pavement
and wiped away tear. Then he asked:
"Who was yorr father ?"
"Mr. Simpson, said the crowd, "and
he died Tuesday"
"And how many of his internal old
widows mean how many Of your moth
ers are there ?"
"Only twenty-seven, replied the chill
dren, "and there are only sixty-four of
us, and we are awful glad you have come
| home"
The Bishop did not seem to be unusu-
ally glad somehow he failed to enter
into the enthusiasm of the occasion.
There appeared to be, in certain sense.
too much sameness about these sur
prises, SO he sat there with his hat
pulled over his eyes, and considered the
situation. Finally, seeing there was no
help for it, he went to the house, and
forty-eight of Mrs. Potts rushed up to
! him and kissed hin, and told hin, hour