Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-02-29
THE MiNISTER'S OLD COAT.

the tram bound for Chicago. and had
struck up an acquaintance
He stopped me- with his hand on my
arm, and with an earnest look which |
shall never forget.
l paused at once in what was saying,
and 1t seemed Tor Il moment as If the
rushing train had stopped to listen, too.
Let me- tell you IL story" he said. II
know thlc Il is a common belief that
ministers Snls are wild, but that is be-
cause people talk about the bad ones,
while those who turn out we'll are taken
IN as p mlttec of course. gathered sta
tistlcS about them once, and found that
out Of Il thousand sons Of ministers, there
"-ere very few who did not grow up USE
Iul and industrious men"
But what is your story2'' asked, set
thing back IN my seat.
"Weli," SAID he, lit begins with class
supper in Boston dozen years ago. A
number Of Old college friends had gath
cred in the evening, for their annual re-
union. Among them was the rich mer-
chant, j. E. WlIliston-perhaps you have
heard OF him-and u poor pastor of a
country church in Eimbank village, out
in Western Massachusetts,, 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 i'll that happy time.
The dishes came and went, the lights
Clio we'd brilliantly, and st last the friends
grew quite sgay,, But the tender feel
ing have spoken of would come upper
most, now and then; and in one of these
musing moments Williston's eye was at
tracted by something glistening about
the coat which his friend Blake, who sat
next to him, had on.
Tic 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.
"'Wel. Blake said he, suddenly tax
ing hold of his friends arm cordially
(Which he somehow hadn't thought OF do
ing bcfore), how has the world gone with
you, lately!'
Blake had Il naturally sad and thought
full face; but he looked around quickly,
with warm smile.
NO need to ask, he said ,laughing,y.
you can read the waolc story on my
back. This old coat is SORT of balance
sheet, which shows my financial condl-
ton TO T.
Then he spoke more seriously, add
ing, 1T is Il pretty hard life, Williston,
that of 4 country parson. don't com
,NloI, nr LOT tbn,,,rb
distressed for my family. The fact is, this
coat I've got on is hardly fit tor a man
Of my profession to appear in; but I'm
going to send my boy Sam to Harvard
this year, and must pinch here and there
to do 1t. really ought to be thankful,
though, that | can get such advantages
for him by few little sacrifices of per-
ssnal appearance and convenience
"'Don't you give a thought to your
coat, old fellow returned Williston.
Nobody who knows you will ever mag
inc that the heart inside of 1t is thread
bare, however the garment may look
"Blake was pleased with this kindly
expression; and both men, after that eX-
change of confidence, felt happier. But,
among the various incidents of the even
ing, this one almost passed out Of the
minister's mind by the next day, when
he started for Elmbank.
''Speedy as his return was, however,
something meant for him had got TO his
destination before him. 1t was letter
Taken it up, he broke open the envelope,
and found inside few words from Will
liston, with check for five hundred dol
lors IN Iofrav fho tSrrt
penses Of his old classmates son.
''1ou are stranger to me, Sir" said
my travelling companion, at this point
"but l think you will appreciate the feel
ing with which poor Mr.. Blake stood
in his bare dinsy study In the old farm
parsonage, holding thai letter in his hand
and lifting his faithful eyes in thankful
ness to God
Yes replied. "Williston did Just
the right thing, too. And how was 1ti
Did the son show that he deserved the
help2"
My acquaintance looked away from me
at the itch country through which We
were passing. Then he said:
Sam Blake was good natured Obedi
ent fellow enough, and was greatly pleased
to have the expense OF his first college
year taken off his fathers shoulders; but
his sensesof duty didn't go very far
The Rev. Mr. Blake brought
new coat, and Sam entered
Harvard that fall; and there matters
stopped for a while.
"a freshman has great deal to learn,
as you know, but think the chief thing
sam learned that term, was the great
difference there is between Harvard and q
little village like Elmbank, and the great
difficulty of working and playing at the
same time.
"Here he had society meetings to at
tend, and rooms of his own, with chum
where good deal of smoking was done
by himself and his friends. And then
there was baseball, into which it appear
ed indispensable for the honor of the class
that he should enter actively, on account
of his strong legs, wonderful wind and
ground batting.
''He could not refuse to so to the thea
ter occasionally with his richer compan-
ions. Sam took a natural interest in the
society of young ladies, too, and had ia
give I'D some time TO its cultivation. He