Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-12-24

hlu yoIVtuyi MS Wlte-oht my BOull' and
| he pulled more mhdiy than before, which
brought the graye-digger, who lived IN the
/ small red house Just behind the church, Into
the belfry. There isn't bit Of doubt that he
| believed the sexton crazy, for, besides ring
ing tho bolls like mad, his coat and hat were
on ana his long gray hair was flying over his
"Praise the Lord' yelled Ezra. "Pralse
the LOrd-to Ezra Potts, sexton Of old 81.
Johns, and Dorothy, his beloved wife, a
! daughter.' And on went the mad, musical
| bells, and speechlcss stood the grave dig
! ger, as he watched the sexton while he rang
the Christmas chimes as they had never rung
| before.
"a daughter, I tell you, Corneyl A little
| live daughter 10 Ezra Potts, sexton, and
Dorothy, his wfe" and letting 20 the ropes
he donnod his coat and hat In an instant, and
| grusping the grave-dlgger's hand he hurried
Him down the stairs at a great rate.
See that, COrney--see that theTeW cried
Ezra, when he had unrolled the infant.
! Amt that Christmas present, COrney,
| amt II, thOuRhP and he slapped the grave
digger hard on the back, who looked more
stupehed than ever.
ITO Ezra Potts and wife, tell you, Cor
noy-I tell you a live daughterW He put
his hands on Corney's shoulder and sh ok
him with all his strength, which aroused the
| graye-digger so much he bent over a trlie
that he might more plainly see the sweet,
placid face Of the sleeping infant.
Corney was very slow fellow. His busi-
ness was slow one, for, as the people OF
| COnnyyille were usually long-liycd,
tenacious set, graye-digging was not a driy-
Ing business at any time. But, finding his
petrilied tongue, he said,
"Wa'al, Idu declar'l whar did you cum
by that air chckW
'"To Ezra and Dorothy Potts from the
! Lord, " solemnly answered the sexton.
"plis, heighW said COrney. "Wa'al, I
kinder reckon as how | wouldn't want the
Lord to bring many sich critters TO me-"
"Ah, said Ezra, shaking his fingers, and
| taking his bundle tenderly In his arms,
"don't be scared, Corncy, lie knows into
what fold TO send His little lost lambs. Oh,
my soul, yes lie knows where to send 'em
to Ezra Potts and wife, no, hop And
locking the great door he hurried off into
the village.
"Here comes Father Potts." cried band
OF youngsters on a street corner, as Ezra
came In sight. "Haye you got anything for
usy' they shouted
HO, no W he cried, merrily, "not thing
its baby for my wife"
"A baby for your wifen they all shouted
with bOisterOus glee. "a baby for your
wife. Hurrah for Father Potts's baby !"
But none Of them could believe that Father
Potts really had baby in the queer-looklng
bundle he was carrying.
Can 7 we please see your baby" asked
little girl, shyy.
"Why, bless your heart-bless my heart
bless everybody's heart come right along
and have a look-all OF you come and have
look. My soull come and have look, all
OF you" And 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. Tradcsmen left their shops and
customers TO see what under the sun the
matter was, and customers rushed to the
doors that they, too, might see the goings
on; and all the quiet village knew good
Father Potts had found 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 aud
began crying, which made the children
shout the louder, for beyond a doubt
Father Potts had q real live baby; and Mrs.
Potts, hearing such an uncommon racket,
hastened to the door to discover its cause.
"Oh, my belovedw cried Ezra. My
wife and happiness! I've such present for
you-O-oh such present." and as the score
thought her husband and half the village
had lost their heads, and she was so aston
ished at such strange proceedings that for
minute she could not have uttered word
to save herself.
"What have you got, Ezrai" she cried,
when she could find her tongue.
"a baby, baby, live babyp" shouted
the little rabble.
"What baby-whose babyY" she asked,
looking first at one and then at another of
the group, and scarce believing her own
ears.
"Ours !" shouted Ezra. "To Ezra Pots,
sexton, and Dorothy, his beloved wife,
daughter.D And he laughed, and the chill
dren laughed, and Mrs. Potts laughed in
spite Of herself, and undoing the bundle she
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, dear!" said Mrs. Potts, "what a
why, what dear little creature! Whose can
it be, EzraW
"Ours % answered Ezra, solemnly.
"Nours ~ cried the children, who had
| gathered close around 1t, us children always
gather around when there is anything to be
seen.
GLOW, EzraY Tell me something-any-
| thing that will relieve me, for the suspense
Is really awful"
! He told the children it was best they
/ should 90 away and come again on the NOR
row, when they could sec the babe as much
as 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 now he was very sure it
| was Christmas present sent them from the
! Lord. Mrs. Potts was as joyous as her eX-
| uberant husband, and she laughed and chat
| ted away TO the little mite Of humanity as
| gayly as o 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
wretched, l am, instead of ShOwering curses
| upon me you would have pity for me--such
| pity as you never had before. If you only
knew how hard-oh, how hard it is for me
! to part with my darling babe, so much dear
| er to me than life ever was, then l know
| you would pity me, you would love my poor
! innocent babe as fOndly rs you would your
own. OH pray you for my sake, l pray
! you for Christ's sake, 10 take my little help
| less child. lbeseech you with all my broken
heart, L beseech you with these scalding
tears to keep my babe, to watch and tend
and care for 1t just as you would your own,
| Just as you did the little life that blessed
| you once, that made you happy once, long
| ago."
Ezra, what is It she says about our little
babeS Read that part over again"
81 beseech you with all my broken heart,
| l beseech you with these scalding tears to
keep my babe, to watch and tend and care
for 1t Just as you would your own, just as
you did the little life that blessed you once,
| that made you so happy once, long ago"
"Just rs 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 20 on, Ezra,
| and finish"