The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1870-07-07
Let Me Go.
The Shabby Hat.

NOW, John, you must give up this time
to rue, like dear boy, and get yourself a
nice thick overcoat: don't mean you shall
ever wear that one again; it is really too
bad and SO saying, Mrs. Flakewhite
took up from the table the coat ia question,
which had been warm friend to me for
don know how many winters, and bad
been turned and repaired, till what With
new Innings and buttons, different colors
and bindings to the cuffs, very little of the
original garment remained, and the gener>
al result was unmistakabl, shabby-and
hung 1t up in the closet with very de-
termined air indeed, that plainly told me
her decision in the case was final
The fact of the matter was this: Very
unexpectedly and opportuDely, | had sold
one OF my pictures at a fair price, and hav
Ing paid In full the arrears Of some house
hold 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 deciding upon,
when the reader /, introduced into our snug
little sitting room. Ten dollars Of the
amount we both agreed shonld 60 into the
savings bank, while the remaining fifteen
artist with reputation yet to make, and the
were free to use as we pleased.
But. my dear said l, you know you
want new hat and warm winter gloves, AID
good thick-so!ed shoes so you get them
now, and | will promise to buy new coat
when | sell another picture"
Mrs. FiakeWhIte quietly came over to
me, and putting her arm around my neck,
held my face directly in front Of her own
dlmp.ed pluHp checks and bright eyes:
with firm hold of my ear In her right
hand, giving it pull at each word to be
quite sure / was giving attention, and SAID
In coaxng tone and manner, the like of
which | never did see in any other woman
-never-"J ohm, when | say please, you
always do what [ wish-now please buy
yourself a new coat
OF course | promised to do as she asked;
| could not have refused under the circum-
stances If she had expressed wish to have
me purchase Central Park fer summer
residence, and build rose and honey ysuckle
covered cottage in the Ramble." This im
portaut matter being brought to a satistac
tory conclusion, and having been talking
about 1t a long time, we went to bed.
L aWoke early next morning; the hammer
Of our little eight>day clock 10 the corne.
had just struck five hurried blows on the
twa1ging piece OF curcd wire inside OF its
gothic porch, while the gorgeous landscape
painted on its glass window front, re splen-
dent in the earliest mellow light cf a sum
mer sun, was the first object which greeted
my sleepy eyes, and consciousness again
broke in upon my short forgetfulness of
trouble in sleep, waking me to realize that
it was time to be up and doing-that every
available instant Of daylight must be coined
upon my pailet-every ray or sunlight, so
far as lay within my power, be stamped
upon my canvas in some recognized form
or legal tender, the sum total 10 form the
basis of sight draft upon the public,
that, if duly honored' when presented,
would furnish my loving, uncomplainlng,
gentle, hard toi!ing, cheerful wife with such
articles 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 COM
ing by sending on his rough night winds to
moan among the tree tops, to shake, Hut
terlDg down, the rustllDg brown leaves that
seemed reluctant, even in death, to quit the
boughs that bore them, and to rudely sing
and troc about our chimney tops, impu.
denty blowing down puffs of smoke into
our very lace, as we sat near our little wood
ire, during the first chilly evening of Oc-
tobeT, while Jack Frost winter own
clown and jester-vaS already at his pranks,
Jogging natures arms IS she daintily paint
ed our window panes, thus causing the
long, Santlng lines we see zig Tagging
across them cold night, rougeing nose as
well as face of old maid and young, DippiDg
sharply at exposed fingers and toes, and
heedlessiy causing many groan rom those
N he'll f,,n hnt
do Tor one sentence
Thus moralizing myself awake, [ quietly
turned ont of bed, dressed and slipped out
of the room, leaving Mrs Flakewhite-
poor tired little body--soundly sleeping
| went down into the sitting room for
my shoes, where | had changed them the
night previous for slippers, and while en-
gagged in putting them on, some articles of
my attention. First, there lay on top Mrs
Flalewhite's hat of brown straw; it was
neatly mende1 in dozen places; the pearl
colored ribbon on i,,though but little soiled,
was creased and perforated with fine holes,
and pricked almost to pattern, in places
whe.e it had been sewed on in different
shapes; there were no flowers in it, and
the strings, from much tying under her
round chin, were lustI Ieless and ropy |
felt my eyes moisten and my sight grow
dim, as | looked at it held out at arms
length, and thought how different it was
from the trim bonnet | wished to see cover
that wavy brown hair, and shade that dear
face; but then | remembered, with pride
and pleasure, that even in spite of its being
IN last years style and its other shortcom-
ings, many kind admiring glance was d.
rected at Its contents as Mrs. F. and |
walked out in the afternoon, when it be-
came too dark to paint Then there was a
we'll worn dress half ripped up, that my
wife $ nimble fingers were doubtless eugag-
ed IN turning aud trimming 50 as to look
respectfully nice when household matters
took her into the street, and lastly. pair
OF little CATERS what is there in the
whole range of lady's dress, that, looked
at when separated from the wearer, so
charms and fascinates masculine ewes as
well shaped little boo, or gaiter? Creases
OF use aud marks of wear only add interest
to the sight, and are, 50 to speak, the fin.
lshlng touches to the picture belonging TO
Mrs; tlaSewhite had been finishing" too
much.
l replaced these several articles on the