Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-12-24
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"To Ezra and Dorothy Potts from the
Lord, solemnly answered the sexton.
"'Tis, hcighpv said Corney "Wa'nl.
kinder reckon as how / wouldn't want the
Lord to bring many sich critters TO me-"
"Ah, - said Ezra, shaking his fingers, and
"don't be scared, Corney, He knows into
what fold to send His little lost lambs. oh,
my soul, yesi He knows where to send 'em
Ito Ezra Potts and wife, ho, hop And
locking the great door he hurried off into
the village.
"Here comes Father Potts." cried band
OF youngsters on a street corner, ms Ezra
came In sight. "Have you got anything for
usY' they shouted. .
clio, ho" hc cried, merrily, "not thing
It's q baby for my wife,
"a baby for your wife" they all shouted
with boisterous glee. "a baby for yonr
wife. Hurrah for Father Potts's babyp'
But none OF them could believe that Father
Potts really had baby In the queer-looking
bundle he was carrying.
Can't we please see your baby?" asked a
little girl, shyly.
"Why, bless your heart--bless my heart
bless cverybody's heart !--come right along
and have look-all OF you come and have q
look. My SOUL come and have look, all
OF you." Aud they all scampered along and
hurrahed for Father Potts and his baby, and
for Mother Potts and her baby; and every
fresh recruit that Joined the merry rabble
hurrahed as loud and became as wild as any
of them. Tradcsmcn left their shops and
customers to see what under the sun the
doors that they, too, might see the goings
on; and all the quiet village knew good
Father Potts had found n baby on the granite
steps OF old st. Johns, and all the quiet viii
lage went wild with Father Potts.
BY the time he had reached the door of his
cozy cottage the infant had awakened and
began crying, which made the children
shout the louder, for beyond doubt
Father Potts had a real live baby; and Mrs.
Potts, hearing such an uncommon racket,
hastened to the door to discover its cause.
"Oh, my beloved" cried Ezra. MY
wife and happiness! Ive such n present for
you-O .oh such present." and us the score
OF children came troopng in. Mrs. Potts
had lost their heads, and she was so aston
ished at such strange proceedings that for
u minute she could not have uttered word
to save herself.
."What have you got, Ezra9" she cried,
when she could find her tongue.
"a baby, q baby, a live baby!" shouted
the little rabbe. IH
"What baby-whose baby~ she asked,
looking first at one and then at another Of
the group, and scarce believing her own
ears. ). ll5l# fL .stH
"Ours !" shouted Ezra. "To Ezra Pots,
sexton, and Dorothy, his beloved wife, n
daughter.'' And he laughed, and the chill
dren laughed, and Mrs. Potts laughed in
1
took out the incest, sweetest little baby any
body ever did see, which made the children
laugh and clap their hands and think that
Father Potts had found the most wonderful
child in the world.
"Oh, dearW said Mrs. Potts, "what "a
why, what dear little creature! Whose can
| it be, Ezra!" rr.H
g Oursp answered Ezra, soemnly.
"Yours!' cried the children, who had
gathered close around it, rs children always
frntE tEarn rGa., thnrn 10 In ha
seen.
"How, EzraP Tell me something-any-
thing that will relieve me, for the suspense
is really awful.'
He told the children it was best they
should go away and come again on the NOR
| row, when they could see the babe as much
| rs they liked; so they scampered happily
away, hurrahing for the new-found baby
and the Pottses. And then Father Potts re-
| lated to his anxious wife how he had discov-
cred the child, and how he was very sure it
was Christmas present sent them from the
Lord. Mrs. Potts was MS joyous rs her eX-
uberant husband, and she laughed and chat
ted away to the little mite Of humanity as
gayly as a young mother would have done.
And then they discovered, tied around its
neck with piece of ribbon, and hidden in
its snowy bosom, rumpled note, stained
with tears, maybe, which Ezra, after putting
on his glasses, read as follows:
"If you only knew how miserable, how
/
upon me you would have pity for me-such
pity as you never had before. II you only
knew how hard-oh, how hard! it is for me
to part with my darling babe, so much dear
erto me than life ever was, then l know
you would pity me, you would love my poor
innocens babe as fondly as you would your
own. Oh pray you for my sake, pray
you for Christ's sake, to take my little help
less child. Ibeseech you with all my broken
heart, / beseech you with these scalding
faor n keen n watch
and care for it just as you would your own,
Just as you did the little life that blessed
you once, that made you happy once, long
ago."
babe? Read that part over again"
81 beseech you with all my broken heart,
i beseech you with these scalding tears to
keep my babe, to watch and tend and care
for it just as you would your own, just rs
you did the little life that blessed you once,
that made you so happy once, long ago."
I" Just as you did the little life that blessed
you once, that made you so happy. once,
long ago." repeated Mrs. Potts, bending low
to hide the falling tears. ''Now 90 on, Ezra,
and finish"
"There are others richer in purse than
you with whom might have left my child;
but your great richness of heart, your ten
der sympathies, your love of God and man
are riches | prize for my babe above the
wicked, fascinating wealth of the world,
ing. oh, God! il my wretchcd life had
been as spotless as yours; il the bleak winds
of temptation had been as gentle to me as
they have been to you; II Christ had tended
me with that unfaltering care He tends the
tiny sparrow, my babe might be calmly
sleeping now on this breast, torn and tor
tured with ceaseess agony Again i be-
seech you to keep my innocent darling, to
care for it rs you would, as you did your
own; and though its parents may have sunk
| m n p-
try world, remember how He, born In q
Bethlehem manger, gave you that blessed
hope of redemption which makes your life
so bright and glOrious--and this little babe
may grow to bless and comfort you when
your years are many and your feet are
trembling near the grave. Watch over her,
beseech you; guide her Alright, / beseech
you, and may Christ bless you; may Christ
bless my baby as He has not blessed its
1t was a very fortunate thing for Ezra
Potts and wife that, just as he had finished
reading, the babe began to worry and re-
quire the combined attention OF the two Joy
full Pottses, for 1t would have been a mosl
difficult matter for either Of them to speak
because of the tears that filed their eyes and
the great lump that had risen in theil
throats. In n few minutes, however, sweet
looking Mrs. Potts, In her neat gray dress
friled cap, and spcctacles, and whose dispo-
sition, by the way, was every bit as amiaDie
~ have thought, Ezra, ever since you
came in, that tmaybe-maybe 1t was her child
Our Kitty's baby"
"Pshaw!" cried Ezra, striking his foot
very hard upon the floor and looking as say.
agely at his beloved wife Dorothy as it was
! possible for him to do. "Never talk sucf
nonsense again. ] wouldn't stand it; no
indeed, wouldn'tW
''Perhaps 1 was wrong in speaking my
mind, Ezra, but, somehow, i couldn't helI
it; and, Ezra, don't you think the baby look
little-just Il little-as she did when sh'
was smallr'
"Nonsense again !" cried the sexton, hit
ting the floor such a second rap with his foo
that 1t fairly frightened the little creature II
his wife's lap half out Of all It's little senses
"If you talk afiy more such internal stuff III
sling that bundle plumb into the street.
mind you, plumb into the street,
"Why, Ezra" cried his wife, ..'you know