The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-08-23
MY SILK UMBRELLA.

W HEN Marcia came nome from Europe
she brought her pretty triiles for every.
body-corals for these. and canoes fol
those. ard cairngorms for the others: and
she brough: me a silk umbrella. had
half hoped for a picture, bit Of bronze
(being householder), a inajolica platter.
What in the world do you suppose Marcia
brought me silk umbrella for?
No shabby one, either, let me tell you.
The silk Of the thickest. the steels of the
stoutest. and the tandle~a wonder of
sculptured ivory. To use? should as
soon have thought of going out in the rain
with my new silk hat as with my new silk
umbrella. Asilk umbrella for man who
who had always held fifty-cent cotton
one, that could be left and forgotten, los,
and stolen, with impunity, and nobody
grievously wronged thereby, as the king
of all umbrellas, and who never carried
an umbrella anyway, but in rainy weather
wore mackintoshl
Still, as umbrellas go, it was beauty.
1t would give an air OF distinction to ones
appearance, armed cdp-a.pie, faultlessly
dressed even to the umbrella. Being an
amateur farmer in small way, it became
me to be seen well dressed when left
home. Then it would look finely on the
rack in the hall. 1t would be nice thing
TO lend lady going from the house in a
Showers nice thing for her to forget to
return, too. That reminded me; l
shouldn't like to lose it, after all; must
have it marked that was only proper re-
spect to Marcia. A neat little silver plate,
the jeweler sa id (nickel would hardly suit
so fine an article), engraved with my name
and place-Only two dollars. Already the
price of tour umbrellas.
When the silk umbrella came home,
hung it, in its case, on the rack; but one
of several irresponsible single ladies, who
take more or less interest in my affairs,
assured me that to keep it hung up In its
case would occasion it to split in the folds.
l took it down and spread it wide open on
the floor of the dark cloak closet, when
another of the irresponsibles-and don't
know how, under Heaven, she knew il
was there-assured me that my umbrella
would become "A One-si1ed cripple if left
it spread wide open on the door. began
to wish had never had an umbrella. l
took off the case, shook loose the folds,
and hung it up unmolested by the others.
The next result of my possession of a
silk umbrella was that, conscious of my
resources, lent my macintosh, and the
person to whom lent it was drowned in
it, and had previously given away and
recklessly lost all my tifty-cent umbrellas
When, then, in drizzling weather wished
to tramp through a field and visit the out
lying dependencies of my pig-sties, it
seemed altogether too incongruOus and un.
becoming to hang over the pig-sties, un-
der silk umbrella with a carved ivory
handle and engraved silver plate, and
consequently went in the rain, caught a
cold, had the pneumonia and doctor, and
a receiptei doctors bill for fifty dollars,
and no strength tospeak of for six months.
l wished Marcia had brought ME no pres
ent at all.
l had been looking forward, for some
time after my complete recovery, to
Marcia's wedding and my journey to Wa
terway. Marcia was not only the sole
millionaire of the name, but she was my
favorite cousin, engaged to marry my
dearest friend, and the ceremony was to
be performed in great state by DR.. Wilder
of Brentford, an old clergyman, the dear
est friend of her dead father and of mine.
Of course l was to make my best appear
ance, and of course my old housekeeper
insisted that then should take my UNI.
brella. l demurred; for it was very much
in my way, with my portmanteau, my
rugs and my wraps, and the box holding
my wedding present. But she carried the
day. and took it.
AS soon as was in the cars that day, !
comfortably disposed of my persona,
properly in various barriers around mel
and enjoyed the morning paper, till sud-
denly the Junction was called, and
started up il hurry to make my connec-
ton. Satisfying myself when the change
was made that I was in the right Car, I
began again to dispose of my incum-
brances. when-where was my umbrella !
l had left it behind me. I was not going
to give that silk umbrella to the porter Of
any train on earth. I had Just time to
spring off one train and back upon the
other, when away they both shot in oppo-
site directions, and I and my umbrella
were on one train, and my valise, nv
wraps and rugs, and wedding present,
were on the other. Did l bless Jonas
Hanway and his great original umbrella !
And the price of how many kings Of ali
umbrellas was there in the ticket was
obliged to buy for place to which didn't
want to 90, to say nothing of the telegram
at the first station concerning the disposal
of my traps!
Fastening into the station and setting
down the umbrella, I had written the
message and was just paying for it, think.
ing the while with regret of the scenery
we we're to pass through, since the only
way to save my umbrella was to keep my
eye fixed on that, when the cry came,
"All aboardv' l threw down the change
and ran.
Your umbrella, sir" cried flute. like
voice.
Hang the umbrellav"
stepped back for tone seconds de.
lay. In that second there was just enough
steam on tn whirl the train out of the sta
ton, past hope of overtaking. Strongly in
clined to pitch it into the middle Of the
track, tucked my umbrella under my
arm savagely, and wheeled about, only e
tear off with its ferrule the top of basket
that the owner of the flute-like voice wal
carefully carrying behind me, and away
fed two white doves IN the air, and van
ished in the blue.
turned at her exclamation. "a thou
sand pardons!' I exclaimed. "Whal
shocking carelessness! Were they nets
Are they quite recoverable! Is it inn.
possible for me to replace them!" In the
swift 1nstants of those few words had
forgotten all about train, traps. umbrella
wedding-l had forgotten myself, in short
"Oh. no. indeed, not pets at all-per.
haps they will go home again. I have
others there. Mrs. Burbank said I would
lose them. They were meant for . wed
ding present." she added, with . smile
that made the lips q perfect a. the voice
was sweet, and that seemed to kindle the
eyes to blue, vivid a. the skies, init
which the doves had vanished-eyes viii
long, black, back-bent lashes that gavs
them most infantile innocence. In an
other moment, under my gaze, the lid
fell, and color like that Of 4 wild blush
rose crept over the cheek and mountef
almost to the soft, loosely curling rings q
chestnut hair on the white forehead. an6
fell again.
{. don't know how to express my 70
"Oh, please don't think Of IT," aha m
swered. II will telegraph 10 have anothe,