was married to Mr. De Vere, and gone to Europe, and supposing it was
of course J.C., she on this occasion startled her better half by
declaring that her son should be baptized "John Joel Jedediah
Cleishbotham," or nothing! It was in vain that he remonstrated.
Janet was firm, and hunting up Maude's letter, written more than
three years before, she bade him write down the name, so as not to
make a blunder. But this he refused to do. "He guessed he could
remember that horrid name; there was not another like it in
Christendom," he said, and on the Sunday morning of which we write
he took his baby in his arms, and in a state of great nervous
irritability started for church, repeating to himself the names,
particularly the last, which troubled him the most. Many a change he
rang upon it, and by the time he stood before the altar the
perspiration was starting from every pore, so anxious was he to
acquit himself creditably, and thus avoid the Caudle lecture which
was sure to follow a mistake. "But he should not make a mistake; he
knew exactly what the name was; he'd said it over a hundred times,"
and when the minister, taking the baby in his arms, said, "Name this
child," he spoke up loud and promptly, jerking out the last word
with a vengeance, as if relieved to have it off his mind, "John Joel
Jedediah Leusebottom."

"That's for me," was J.C.'s involuntary exclamation, which, however,
was lost amid the general titter which ran through the house.

In an agony of anxiety Janet strove to rectify the mistake, while
her elbow sought the ribs of her conjugal lord; but the minister
paid no heed, and when the screaming infant was given back to its
frightened father's arms it bore the name of "John Joel," and
nothing more.

To this catastrophe Janet was in a measure reconciled when after
church J.C. sought her out and, introducing himself, informed her of
the true state of affairs.

"Then you aint married to Maude after all," said the astonished
Janet, as she proceeded to question him of the doctor's family. "It
beats all, I never heard on't; but no wonder, livin' as we do in
this out o' the way place--no cars, no stage, no post office but
twice a week--no nothin'."

This was indeed the reason why Janet had remained so long in
ignorance of the people with whom she formerly lived. Fayette, as
she said, was an out of the way place, and after hearing from a man
who met them in New York, that Maude and Louis were both gone to
Eu