Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-11-14
Iorld, of none of which he can possibly

one of which the work of improvement is in progress. Rev. Nantucket Sperm is always loud in his praise of my father for his inauguration of the good work which is now being carried on with so much pious enthusiasm.
 But that which gave my father the greatest pleasure was the following incl dent, which he was never tired of relat- ing: One day as he was coming in from the cemetery he was stopped by a wom- an apparently about 90 years of age, who, cane in hand, stood before her cot tage. MT. Johnson" said the venera- ble dame, T want tew thank you. I've been a-holdin back for years all knew heow jist to keep from bein stuck deown out there among the weeds and briers, but now I'm willin tew go whenever the Lord calls. The homes of the dead of the village are meow as bright as the homes of its living, and changin from one to the other don't seem dreadful like it used tew. I've always been tidy in my home among the Twin, and I'd like to be tidy in my home among the dead"
 It is my fathers delight to accompany my sisters when they go forth to strew fresh flowers on the tombs of our ances- tors. On such occasions he favors them with long extracts from the genealogy He never tires of discoursing of the ca reer of the Johnsons of England, and in speaking of the trials and tribulations of Sir Archibald his face is at one moment flushed with righteous wrath, and at the next he becomes pathetic, and tears roll down his cheeks. He has now not only fully adopted our imported ancestors, but has also so fondly studied their his tory that he has come to firmly believe them of his own flesh and blood. was made aware of this the day after our grand funeral ceremonies when said to my father, ''So ends the grim mest. most protracted and elaborate practical joke ever perpetrated on the soil of New England"
 Joke, sir sternly cried my father, staring at me as though he thought me losing my wits. Do you call that which has been wrought by the hand of Provi- dence joke? Let me never again hear you speak in that light manner of what the Lord has brought about. am as certain as that live that Sir Archibald Johnson was my great-grandfather. The l proofs are so many and so strong that l cannot doubt them. Not a man in Amer lea doubts them. My son, what has been done may have been commenced in l a spirit less serious than was befitting a work of such great gravity and impor- | tance, but all the time unknown to us God was guiding us aright. By his hand | you were led to the tombs of our ances- tors, and in all we have since done we have had his aid. Thus has our work been made to prosper and bring forth | good fruit.
 How you can doubt that those whose remains we have so dutifully honored are our ancestors I cannot conceive, es- pecially in the face of all the proofs you have brought home from the mother country. In the Bible we read that the patriarchs of old experienced certain in ternal physical commotions termed l 'yearning of the bowels when brought into the presence of those to whom they were united by ties of consanguinity. Formerly I could not understand the phenomenon, but now never approach the tomb of Sir Archibald that do not experience similar internal sensations in the region of the diaphragm, which ac- cept as a sign given me from one now in | the other world"
 My father, being thus curt and decided with me. his own son and fellow con- spirator, convinced me that had any stranger dared to even so much as hint a suspicion that our imported ancestors ! were not all we claimed the old gentle man would have belabored the doubte1 with his cane.
 As had no desire to detract from the family enjoyment, ever thereafter kept whatever light thoughts may have had to myself. Indeed it was to me always great pleasure to observe my sister Eleanor strewing fresh flowers with pi- ous care upon the tomb of Lady Flea nor, her great-g great grandmother by importation.
 If there were any who were previous ly inclined to stand aloof from our fam- lily, the discourse of Rev. Walter Now bray brought them into the fold of our friends. Still old Amariah Bradford was by no means disposed to at once ad- init that I was worthy of alliance mat rimonially with family of the "truest bluest New England blood"
 Charity Bradford, the wife of old Am ariah, was in full sympathy with hel daughter and through her mother Pru dence was able to learn something of the state of her fathers mind. She informed mo that after he had listened attentively to the discourse of Rev. Mir. Mowbray her father had said in a conversation with her mother that, though member of my family had landed at Salem il
 1630, still it was 10 years later than thu pilgrims, and, besides, arriving in an or dinary trading vessel was very differen
 from coming over in the Mayhower. However, as Lady Arbella Johnson
 seemed to have been of a very respecta
 ble Puritan family, her not coming t
 the country 10 years earlier might b
 overlooked. As her husbands name wa
 Isaac, he was inclined to the belief tha they were q genuinely God fearing pair
 As for titles, they were all mere worldl, vanities. He therefore pretended to car
 nothing at all for Sir Archibald ant Lady Eleanor. He said they were prob ably prosecutors of the righteous. Sool , after this was reported to me one da. by chance found the Bradford of all tn ' Bradfords at the cemetery contemplat ing with much satisfaction the tombs c Sir Archibald, Lady Eleanor and Lad Arbella. I remained aloof, being con tent with the knowledge that the leave : was working.
 2 Upon consultation with Prudence " arrived at the conclusion that I migl
 now safely ''speak to her father" In
 long time he had said nothing abou
 Standish Bradford and had winled 8 = my escorting Prudence to and from tn
 gatherings" of the young folks. !. When I bearded ''the Bradford" ' ' his den, he gave his consent to my nal ing Prudence Mrs. Johnson, but almo: in the same breath plainly gave me : understand that through Lady Arbell ' md her hnshand Isaac as the nnrlin.