Connecticut western news., 1873-03-14
BISHOP POTTS OF UTAH.
% His Trials at Christmas Tim

D1ShVf FUIIS UT UTAH.
 His Trials at Christmas Time.
 Bishop Potts of Salt Lake City was 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 a good time on Christmas, so he concluded to take trip down to San Francisco to see what he could find in the shape of toys to gratify and amuse them. The good bishop packed his carpet-bag, em- braced Mrs. Potts one by s~one and kissed each of her affectionately, and started upon his journey. .-. ts.t..e He was gone little more than aweek, when he came back with fifteen beauti- ful mouth-organs in his valise for his darlings. He got out of the train at Salt Lake, thinking how joyous and ex- hilarating it would be at home Christ mas morning when the whole of those mouth organs should be in operation upon different tunes at the same mo- ment. But just as he entered the depot he saw group of women standing in the ladies room apparently waiting for him. As soon as he approached, the whole twenty of them rushed up, threw their arms about his neck and kissed him, exclaiming -
 "Oh,. Theodore, we are so-se glad you have come back Welcome home [ Welcome, dear, dear Theodore Vel come once more to the bosom of your family p and then the entire score of them fell upon his neck and cried over his shirt and mussed him.
 The bishop was surprised and confus- ed. Struggling to disengage himself, he blushed and said f .3-t4 tf /. "Really, ladies, this kind of thing is well enough-it is interesting and all that, but there must be some kind of a. that IS, an awkward sort of a-excuse me, ladies, but there seems to be, as it were slight misunderstanding about the-I am Bishop Potts.
 We know 1t, we know it, dearest" !" they exclaimed in chorus, "and we are glad to see you safe, safe at home. We have all been right we'll while you were away, love-"
 cit gratifies me" remarked the bish- op, "t to learn that none of you have been prey to disease. I am filled with bhssfn serenity when I contemplate the fact butreally I do not understand why you should rush into this railway station and hug me because your flyers are active and your digestion good. The precedent is bad it is dangerous l"
 "Oh, but we didn't! they exclaimed in chorus1 "We came here to welcome you because you are our husband"
 Pardon me, but there must be some ittle-that is to say, as it were, Ishould think not. Women, you must have mis- taken your man, 5sss ia @11T9 "Oh no, dearest p they shouted, "We were married to you while you were away l'~s. P z,. .~.;s-ss,sr r ."What - exclaimed the bishop, ..youu .. u don't mean to say that"
 ''Yes, love. Our husband William Brown, died on Monday, and on Tues day Brigham had vision in which he was directed to seal us to you and so he performed the ceremony at once by proxy. .....
 ''Th-th-th-th-under P observed the bishop, in general sort of way.
 "And, darling, we are all living with you now-we and the dear children
 Children children P exclaimed Bishop Potts, turning pale, 'tyou don't mean to say that there is pack oi children, too ?'' -- ..as-.. - 5. 'fYes, love, but only onehundred and twenty-five, not counting the eight twins and the tr1pletS. .---- 5--zs-. -
 ''Wha-wha-wha-what d. you say p gasped the bishop, in cold prespira tlon: Zone hundred and twenty-five One hundred and twenty-five childre1 and twenty more wives It is too mucl it is awful ]" and the bishop sat. dowr and groaned, while the late Mrs. Brown the bride, stood round in semi-cirel, and famed him with her bonnets, al except the red-haired one, and she il her trepidation made futile effort tx fan him with the coal scuttle.
 After while the bishop became rec onciled to his new alliance, knowins well that his protests would be unayail ing so he walked home, holding a many of the little hands of the bride, a. he could conveniently grasp in his while the red-haired woman carried hi umbrella and marched in front of tn parade to remove Instructions and t, scare small boys.
 When the bishop reached the house he went round among the cradles whicl filled the back parlor and the second story rooms, and attempted, with sucl earnestness, to become acquainted wit his new sons and daughters that he SC the whole one hundred and twenty-fiv and the twins to crying, while his ow1 original fifteen stood around and ioine, in the chorus.
 Then the bishop went out and sat ol the garden fence to whittle stick an, solemnly think, while Mrs. Potts dis tributed herself in twenty-three place and soothed the children. It occurre to the bishop while he unused, out ther on the fence, that he had not enongh c mouth organs to go around among tn children as the family now stood an so, rather than to seem partial, he de term1ned to go back to San Francisc for one hundred and forty-four more.
 So tke bishop repacked his carpet-ba. and began again to bid farewell to hi family. He tenderly kissed all tn Mrs. Potts who where at home, an started for the depot, while Mrs. Pott stood at the varions windows and wave handkerchiefs at him-all. except tn woman with the warm hair, and she, i a fit of absent -mindedness, held one C the twins by the leg and brandished at Potts as he fled down the street.