American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-05-30
The Wrong OvercOat.

social duty.-N- Y. Graphic.
The Wrong OvercOat.
When Dr. Smith was schoolboy the
copies in his writing book must have
been: "Time and tide wait for no man."
Reconstruction is the thief of Time"
and those other proverbs about taking
time by the forelock" and using time as
it flies, for he always had the habit OF be-
ing " on hand " bright and early, whether
the occasion were a Journey, wedding,
or dinner party.
Once-.when he was going to see some
friends days journey from home he
practiced not only the spirit but the let
ter of all the injunctions as to the pro-
crastinatiOn proverb and the other. His
travelling bag was packed about week
| before the days journey was to be taken;
and oh, how much in the way that bag
seemed to be! How dusty it became
and how many scratches it received as
one person would stumble over it, then
another; and every time it would be
moved out of the way, until at last, when
it was put in one corner, Buff, the house
dog, seemed to think it was black cat
and barked at it most fiercely at dis
lance, as he always did at real cats, for
fear of their splitting at him and tearing
his long hair.
After the traveling-bag was packed it
| was decided in family council that the
doctor needed new Overcoat. SO the
cloth was bought, the coat cut, taken to
tailoress and at last begun, nothing re-
naming to be done but to wait patiently
until it could be finished. At last the
doctors fears were at an end, his desires
and hopes realized and the coat was
brought home. 1t was tried on, and after
| it had been pulled up here and jerked
down there it was pronounced fit by all
the spectators.
How fresh and c.ean it looked! What
apity that it should be covered with the
dust and smoke of travel! And how long
it was; "just the latest STYLE" daughter
Bessy remarked, thinking of her fathers
| old, old coat that had served many a good
turn.
AT last the anticipated day arrived, and
everything was in readiness. Breakfast
had been eaten and the different members
of the family had assembled :" to drop the
parting tear" The bag that had been
packed so long was placed by the front
door, and Buff barked at it again, still
thinking it was cat; the new overcoat
was on a chair with the doctors Sunday
hat, ready to be put on when the time
came. In the pockets of the coat were
the articles that were considered indis-
pensable for pleasure, comfort and con-
venlence during the Journey bunch of
| cigars and a box of matches; railroad
guide and the morning paper; the key to
the travelling bag; a clean handkerchief
and spectacle case; all were safely
slowed away and nothing more was to be
done until it was time to go. Louisa re-
marked that if she only had on her boots
instead of her slippers, and had her hair
arranged nicely, she would go to the de-
| pot with her father. Suddenly a whistle
| of locomotive was heard, loud and clear
and shrill, as if train was close at hand.
| Such a commotion ensued! DIR. Smith
snatched up his bag, cane and umbrella,
and what he supposed was his new over
coat, lighted his cigar, kissed whoever
presented herself and rushed out of the
house as if his life depended on his ut
most speed.
Daughter Bessy looking out from her
chamber window, where Buff was barking
farewell, saw her father rushing out of
the gate, his coatskiris flying, his bag,
cane and umbrella in hand, and in his
mouth the inevitable cigar, which sent
out clouds of smoke, the whole figure
looking like a locomotive well under
way.
"But what is the matter with the new
overcoat?" Bessy said to herself. at is
about foot shorter than the under one,
and 1 noticed particularly the proper
length of the skirt when the coat was tried
onr'
Just then a cry of dismsy. regret and
perpleXity arose from the members of the
family downstairs, who were bringing
order out of chaos in the doctors room,
where there seemed to have been an earth
| quake. PA has taken the wrong over
coat!" screamed Louise below to Bessy
above, and the mystery was solved as to
the peculiar appearance of the "locOmo-
| tive"
Another representation of locomotive
dashed out of the gate
Louise, although with slippers on her
feet, longed more for spring in her gait
| than for boots; and what if she hadn't the
last style of waterfall on her head, if she
had a notion in it that she could reach
the depot with the coat before the train
could, even if a creek in her back was the
consequence, So, away she ran, without
hat or shawl, laughing at the strange
| appearance she presented, and still more
at the flying and smoking figure before
her.
Wings seemed to be lent to her feet,
and she fastened on, calling, P-a-a"
while the locomotive, which was all this
time advancing rapidly, seemed to take
up the refrain and to scream, "Pa-aa-ar
like the cock in famous riddle that
spoke one word and all the world heard
| it. Nearer and nearer came the scream
ing engine and laundering train; faster
and faster ran the doctor, while visions of
the tableaux "Too late for the train -
John Gilpin," and =" A race for a sweet
heart" were forcibly presented to Louisa's
mind. AS the train came around curve
| that was quite near the depot Louisa, al
most exhausted with running and scream
ing and laughing, made a final trial. and
nearly equaled the locomotive with her
screams. Her father stopped and looked
around took in the whole situation at a
| glance; tore off the wrong overcoat, threw
the right one over his arm and rushed on
again, at last reaching the depot just in
'ime-to see the train go by; to find
| that it was freight train and that the
| one he was to go in would be time in
! fifteen minutes !-HeaTth and Home.
"A well-knOwn physician says that he