The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-06-23
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE SHABBY HAT.

"Now, John, you must give up this time
to me, Ike dear boy, and get yourself a
nice thick oYeTcOat; | don't mean you
shall ever wear that one again; it is real
ly too bad, and so saying, Mrs Flake
white took up from the table the coat in
question, which had been warm friend
To me for l don't know how many winters
and had been turned and repaired, till
" hat with new Innings and buttons, differ
ent collars and bindings to the cuffs, very
little of the original garment re
msined, and the general result was un-
u iStakably shabby-an hung it up in
The closet with very determined air
indeed, that plainly told ME her decision
in the case was final.
The fact of the matter was this: Very
Unexpectedly and opportunely, 1 had sold
one of MY pictures at a fair price, and
having paid in full the arrears of some
household accounts there still remained
in our hands, unexpended, the magnificent
sum of twenty five dollars, the best use to
make of which We were arguing and de-
Gliding upon, when the reader is introduced
into our snug little sitting room. Ten
dollars OF the amount we both agreed
should 90 into the savings bank, while the
remaining fifteen dollars-a very cOnsid-
cradle amount to an artist with reputation
yet to make, and the best little wife ia the
world to suppOrt-we We're free to use as
We pleased.
"But, my dear" said I, you know
you want a new hat and warm winter
gloves, and good thick-soled shoes; so
you get them now, and l will promise to
buy new coat when | sell another pic
ture"
Mrs. Flakewhite quietly came over to
me, and putting her arm around my neck,
held my face directly in front of her own
dimpled phlmp cheeks and bright eyes,
with firm hold Of my car in her right
hand, giving it pull at each word to be
quite sure was giving attention, and said
H. cCaxing tone and manner, the like Of
which l never did see in any other wo-
man-never-"JOhn! when | say please,
YOU always do what wish-now please
buy yourself new coat"
OF course | promised to do as she asked !;
] could not have refused under the cir
cumstances if she had expressed a wish to
have me purchase Central Park for a
sum- mer residence, and build a rose and
hOneysuckle- covered cottage In the Ram
bic" This important matter being brought
To n satisfactory conclusion, and having
been talking about it a long time, We
went to bed.
! awOke early next morning; the ham,
mer of our little eight-day clock in the
corner had just struck five hurried blows
on the twanging piece of CUrled wire in
side of its gothic porch, while TIE gor-
geOus landscape painted on its glass win
dow front, resplendent in the earliest
mellow light OF summer sun, was the
1irst object which greeted my sleepy eyes,
and consciousness again broke IN upon
my short forgeifuiness OF trouble in sleep,
waking me TO realize that it was time TO
be up and dOing-that every available in
slant of daylight must be coined upon my
pallet-every ray OF sunlight, so far as lay
within my power, be stamped upon my
canvas in some recognized form or legal
tender, the sum total to form the basis Of
2 sight draft upon the public, that, if
duly "hOnored" when presented, would
furnish my loving, accomplishing, gentle,
hard tOiling, cheerful wife with such ar
tlcles of necessity as she required, and
add many little luxury to our simple
needs and fancies, during the long stay of
winter, who had already heralded its
coming by sending on his rough night
winds to moan among the tree tops, to
shake, flGttering down, the rustling
brown leaves that seemed reluctant, even
IN death, to quit the bOughs that bore
them, and to rudely sing and frOlic about
our chimney tops, impudently blowing
down pufis Of smoke into our very face,
as We sat near our little wood FIRE, during
the first chilly evenings of October, while
Jack Frost winters own clown and
leSter-was already at his Dranks, logging
uature's arms as she daintily painted our
widow panes, thus causing the long,
siantlng lines we see Zig-Zagging across
them cold night, rougeing nose as well
as face OF Old maid and young, nippiHg
sharply at exposed fingers and toes, and
heediessly causing many a groan from
those unsheltered from his merciless fun.
Ihat'll do for one sentence.
Thus moralizing myself awake, quiet
ly turned out of bed, dressed and slipped
out of the room, leaving Mrs. Flake
white-pOor tired little Dody-soundly
sleeping.
| went down into the sitting-room for
my shoes, where | had changed them the
night previous for slippers, and while en-
gtged in putting them on, some articles
OF female attire on the chair near by at
tracted my attention. First, there lay on
top Mrs FlakeWhite's hat of brown straw;
1t was neatly mended in dozen places !;
the pearl-colOTed ribbon on it, though but
little s0iled, was creased and perforated
with fine holes, and pricked almost to a
pattern, in places where it had been sewed
ON in different shapes there were no
flowers in it, and the strings, from much
tying under her round CHA, were lustre-
less and rOpy. / felt my eyes moisten and
my SIGHT grow dim, as looked at it held
o1t at arms length, and Thought how diff
ferent it was from the trim bonnet wish
ell to see cover that wavy brown hair,
and shade that dear face; but then. / re-
membered, with pride and pleasure, that
even IN spite Of its being in last years
style and its other shortcomings, many a
kind admiring glance was directed at its
contents as Mrs. f. and | walked out in
the afternoon, when it became too dark to
paint Then there was well worn dress
hall ripped up, that my wife's nimble
hngers were doubtless engaged in turning
and trimming so as to look respectfully
nice whcu household matters took her
into the street; and lastly, pair of little
CATERS what is there in the whole range
OF a ladys dress, that, locked at when
separated from the wearer, 80 charms and
fascinates masculine eyes as well shaped
little boot or gaiter? Creases of use and
marks of wear only add interest TO the
S'sht, anu arc, 50 Io sptdh, huc HhiohIhS 3
touches to the picture, only that, in this
instance, the picture belonging to Mrs.
Fiakewhite had been finishing" too
much.
/ replaced these several articles on the
chair as found them, and turning with a
sigh into my studio, soon forgot my
trouble and found relief in work. Whether r
the sight Of the objects OF my wife's un-
complaining labor had nerved nv hand
to unusual efforts, or whether I had
chanced upon peculiarly fortunate mo-
ment for work, | cannot say, but this
much know, difficulties of drawing that
had perplexed and hindered me for week,
vanished under the strokes of my happy
pencil this morning. / touched on little
patches of color that astonished and
charmed me with their excellence half
---.ot doIioaou and dIfi r