Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1881-04-02
THE MINISTER'S OLD COAT.

Ministers sons are very apt to turn
Outbadly," said to the gentleman who
sat next to me in the car. We had met
i'm 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 | never shall for
get. paused at once in what L was
Saving. and it seemed for moment al
most as if the rushing train had stopped
to listen, too.
LET me tell you story" he said. 81
know it is a common belief that minis
ters' sons are wild, but that is because
people talk about the bad ones, while
those who turn out we'll are taken as
matter of course. L gathered statistics
about them once, and found that out of
1000 sons of ministers there were very
few who did not grow up useful and in
dustriOus men,.
"But what is your stOrv?" asked.
"Well," 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, ]. E. WillistOn-and poor pastor
of the country church in Elmbank vii
lage. out i'm western Massachusetts,, whose
name was Blake. A good many of the
class had died, and the dozen or so elder
ly men who were left felt more tender
than ever toward each other as they
thought of the bright old days at Har-
ward, 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. Bat the tender feelings
fNDt
now and then; and in one OF these mo-
ments, WillistOn's eyes was attracted by
something glistening on the coat which
his friend Blake. who sat next to him.
had on. He looked closer, and saw that
the black cloth of which the coat was
made had been worn so thin that it was
very shiny.
"Well, Blake" said he, suddenly, TAX
ing hold of his friends arm cordially
(which he somehow hadn't thought Of
doing before), chow has the world gone
with you lately?"
Blake had a naturally sad and thought
full face. but he looked around quickly
with a warm smile.
''NO need to ask" he said laughingly.
'You can read the whole story on my
back. This old coat is sort of balance
sheet, which shows my financial cOndi-
ton to T."
"Then he spoke more seriously, adding
st is pretty hard life. WillistOn, that
of country parsOn. don't complain
of nv lot, though sometimes | am dis
tressed for my family. The fact is, this
coat Eve got on is hardly fit for man
in my profession to appear in, but Pm
going to send my boy Sam to Harvard
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 few little sacrifices of per-
sonal appearance and convinced"
DON'T you give thought TO your coat
old fellow returned WillistOn. "NO
body who knows you will ever imagine
that the heart inside of it is threadbare
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 min
listers mind 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. II
was letter. Taking it up, he broke
open the envelope, and found few
words from WillistOn with check fol
$500, to defray the first years college ex
penses of his old classmates son.
"YOu area stranger to me, SIR SAID
my travelling companion at this point
''but think you will appreciate the feel
ing with which poor Mr.. Blake stood in
his bare and dingy study in the old farm
parsonage. holding that letter in his
hand, and lifting his fearful eyes in
thankfulness to God.'
EYES," replied, "WillistOn did Just thu
right thing, too. And how was it? Die
the son show that he deserved the help?'
MY acquaintance looked away from
me at the rich country through which
we were passing. Then he said: "San
Blake was gOOd-natured, Obedient fel
low enough, and was greatly pleased tt
have the expenses of his first college
wear taken off his fathers shoulders; bui
his sense of duty didn't go very far. Rev
Mr.. Blake bought new coat, and San
entered Harvard that fall; and ther,
matters stopped for awhile.
"A freshman mas great deal to learn
as YOU know; but think the chief thins
Sam learned that term was the grea
difference there is between Harvard ant
a little village like Elmbank, and tn,
great difficulty of working and playing
at the same time. Here he had sOciet.
meetings to attend, and rooms of hi
own, with chum, where a good deal o
smoking was done by himself and hi
friends. And then there was base ball
into which it appeared indispensable TO
the honor of the class that he should en-
ter actively, on account of his strOni
legs, wonderful wind, and grand batting
He could not refuse to go to the theate
occasionally, with his richer companions
Sam took natural interest in the societ,
of Young ladies, too, and had given nj
some time to its cultivation. He ais,
thought moderate amount of practic,
in the gymnasium was desirable to pre-
vent his health from going down unde
the CONTINENT of study. So, on tn
whole, the actual work that he did in tn
college was not very extensive. Thi
didn't seem to have any bad effect til
well along in the winter, when the habi
of Sinking work had grown so strOn
without his noticing it that he fell easil
into reading novels when he ought t
have been in the recitation room. Gym
q nasium, theater, billiards, smoking, an
am afraid must say little drinking
frlttered away his time.
zone horrible, snowy, sleepy morning