Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1900-02-28
THE PARSONS BABY.
The Only ONE In Town.
By Jay Benson Hamilton, D. D.

A prominent manu- a. turer in bus
ting little W. stern cit, to k me ,
lunch with him during the session o
the Methodist Conference which l wa
yisitiog. He was p oud of the emf er
Prise and beauty of-ihe city and haC
nauch to say OF its early history. ]
imagined from the zest of his recital,
ttat he had been principal character
IN many Of the stirring scenes he por'
taye5. He never tired talking of the
Methodist minister who founded the
first church. The bravery and o.
quence OF this first parson were the
subjects of unending eulogv. The
beauty, sweetness aud courage of the
parsons young wife were topics con-
GER ing which the old gentleman spoke
with deep and affsctionate feeling. He
was in the midst of loving rauegy ic
Of the title woman when | int rup, ed
him little banterin9ly:
"You speat as if you had loved the
rarson. but had worsbiped the par
sons wife"
81 have the best reason in the world
for worshiping ner," he replied earnest
ly. 81 owe erything l have in this
world and everything l hope to have in
the next world to her. I was wicked
wretch who had only escaped the gal
lows which richly deserved bya streak
OF good luck. 1 was on the road to
eternal ruin and was dragging down
with me scores of others, when her
little white hand stopped me and
turned me about face" He was COM
piet ely overwhelmed with emotion for
moment After q short silense he
fervently but softly said God bless
her little heart"
"Tell me something about the par
sons wife," l said.
After few moments thought he
began to smile and then laughed softly |
to himself.
GLOW would you like to hear the
story of the parsons baby, when it was
the only one IN town."
As my silence gaze consent, he pro-
ceeded:
"The parsons baby was the first
baby born IN our town. It received
welcome equal to the Fourth OF July.
Every bell was rung, and every shop
and store was decorated in honor of
the arrival of the new citizen. 1t seems
childish now, but it seemed very proper
and fitting then, The whole town was
Illuminated, and to,chight process A.,
ion marched through all the principal |
streets. The Fourth of July was no.
where. AS soon as the PARSONS wife
was able to sit up, she was placed in
5he front room and sat there for hours,
singing to her baby. She was a Gun.
ming little woman. She knew the BOYS
We're wild to see the baby and she sat
oy the window, where al who walked
oy could look in. One of the fellows
who had been hanging around for
several days hoping to get the first
peep at the baby was rewarded that
morning by seeing the little women
,arried close to the window and seal
ID in a chair.
81 va the fellow. Like a great fool,
stopped and looked in. She just
mied and shook her finger at me, and
hen held up tn baby for me to see.
bowed and threw the baby kiss and ,
vas off like a shot. | tol a hundred
g lows what l had seen. Would you ,
elieve 1T? Hundreds bad Il orraud
hat day that to * them by the parso'
&C. III be blesse ! if It didn't ct be :;
own almost crazy. If you have ever
cen a psch of school children run to
oe an elephan, y u can imagine how .
he boys hustlei zee that baoy. The n