Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-03-05
THE MINISTER'S OLD COAT.

out badly" said /, to the gentleman
who sat next to me in the car. We had
met in the train, bound for Chicago,
and had struck up an acquaintance.
He stopped me with his hand on my
arm and with an earnest look which l
shall never forget
paused at once i'm what 1 was say
ing, and it seemed for a moment al
most as if the rushing train had
stopped to listen, too.
"Let me tell you a story" he said.
d" / know it is common belief that
ministers sons are wild, but that is be-
cause people talk about the bad ones,
while those who turn out well are
taken as matter of course. l
gathered statistics about them, once,
and found that out of thousand sons
of ministers, there were very few who
did not grow up useful and Industrious
men,"
"But what is your storyP" asked,
settling back in my seat.
. "Well," said he, sit begins with a
class-supper in Boston, a dozen years
AGO. A number of old college friends
had gathered in the evening for their
annual reunion. Among them was the
rich merchant, j. r. Williston-per-
haps you have heard of him-and a
poor pastor of a country church in
Elmbank village, out in Western Mas
sachusetts, whose name was Blake. A
good many of the class had died, and
the dozen or so elderly men who were
left felt more tender than ever toward
each other, as they thought of the
bright old days at Harvard, and how
soon no one would be left on earth who
shared in that happy time.
"The dishes came and went, the
lights glowed brilliantly, and at last the
friends grew quite gay. But the ten
der feeling / have spoken of would
come uppermost, now and then; and in
one of these musing moments Willis
toms eye was attracted by something
glistening about the coat which his
friend Blake, who sat next 20 him, had
on.
"He looked closer, and saw that the
black cloth of which the coat was made
had been worn so thin and smooth that
it was very shiny.
"'Well, Blake said he, suddenly,
taking hold of his friend arm cordially
(Which he somehow hadn't thought Of
doing before), how has the world gone
with you, latelyP
"Blake had q naturally sad and
thoughtful face; but he looked around
quickly, with a warm smile.
No need to ask, he said, laugh
ingly. You can read the whole story
on my back. This old coat is sort OF
balanoe.sheet, which shows my financial
condition to t. I.
A I,a alrf an,.;s, a.
ing, 1t is a pretty hard life, Williston,
that Of country parson. don't com
plain of my lot, though sometimes I'm
distressed for my family. The fact Is
this coat I've got on is hardly fit for 6
man of my profession to appear I'M but
I'm going to send my boy Sam to Har
ward this year, and must pinch here and
there to do it. / really ought to be
thankful, though, that can get such
advantages for him by a few little sacri
fees of personal appearance and con
venience.'
"'Don't you give thought to you
coat, old fellow returned Williston
Nobody who knows you will eve
imagine that the heart inside of it il
threadbare, however the garment ma,
look ....
"Blake was pleased with this kindl,
expression; and both men, after tina
exchange of confidence, felt happier
But, among the various incidents of tn,
evening. this oae almost passed out o
the minister's mind by the next day
when he started for Elmbank
"Speedy rs his return was, however
something meant for him had got TO hi
destination before him. II was q letter
Taking IL up, he broke open the en-
velope, and found inside few word
from Williston, with check for iiv
hundred dollars to defray the FIRST year.
college expenses Of his old classmate'
son.
"YOu are 4 stranger 70 me, sir, 'sai,
my traVeling-companion, at this point
"but think you will appreciate th
feeling with which poor Mr.. Blak
stood In his bare and dlngy study In Oh
old farm parsonage, holding that lette
Ia his hand, and lifting his faithful eye
in thahkfulness tn God"
Eyes" replied. "Williston di,
Just the right thing, too. And how wa
itP Did the son show that he deserve,
the helpP'
My acquaintance looked away fror
me a the rich country through whio
We were passing. Then he saidi
'sam Blake was q gOOd-natured
Obedient fellow enough, and was great
~ pleased TO have the expense Of HI
first college year taken off his father
shoulders but his sense Of duty didn'
90 very far. The Rev Mr.. Blak
bought n new coat, and Sam entere
Harvard that fall; and there matter
stopped for a while.
"a freshmsn has a great deal I
learn, as you know; but / think tn
chief thing Sam learned, that tern
was the great difference there is be
tween Harvard anda little village lih
Elmbank, and the great difficulty {
working and playing ut the same tim,
Here he had society meetings TO a
tend. and rooms Of his own, with
ohum, where a good deal Of smokin
was done by himself and his friend
And then there was baseball, I'M
which Il appeared indispensable I,
the honor OF the class that he shou
enter actively, on account of h
strong legs, wonderful wind and grour
batting. t...l.l.ta
s'He could not refuse 10 90 to h
theater occasionally with his rich
companions. Sam took a natural inte
eat in the society Of young ladies, to
and had TO give up some time to its CT
tivation. He also thought modera
amount of practice in the gymnasiu