Connecticut western news., 1883-08-29
THE VELVET PERIOD.
A NOTABLE SEASON IN THE LIFE OF
 EVERY YOUNG MAN.

NOTABLE SEASON IN THE LIFE OF
 EVERY YOUNG MAN. How 1t Struck a Citizen and the Courage it
 Required to put it On-Why he Gave it
 Away. A couple of old fellows were standing ln front of the Plankinton House, smok- ing five cent cigars, one evening, when 8 young fellow passed along with vel vet coat on, and before he had got out of sight, an old fellow about sixty years old passed the same place, and he had on velvet coat. One of the two old fellows knocked the ashes off his cigar, and said:
 "It catches them all, sooner or later."
 'What do you mean ?" asked the other, as he borrowed his friends cigar to light his own.
 'Why, the velvet coat period" said the first man, as he took his cigar back. and puffed omit to keep it going. "Every man, some time in his life, either as boy or man, sees time when he thinks the world will cease to revolve on its axis if he does not have velvet coat, and he is bound to have one if he has to steal the money to buy it. It is bad enough for boy to have the period come on, but it IS infinitely worse to escape it in youth and have it attack man in middle life, but it always hits them, some time. Now, you wouldn't think, to look at me, that ever had the velvet coat fever, but I had it once in its most violent form.
 "About twenty years ago, at the time of the oil excitement, I made a little money in oil, and I got to thinking how l could show how was no ordinary son of man, and all at once it struck me that a velvet coat could do it for me, and I had surveyor measure me, and had velvet coat made. I was anxious to have it done so could put iton and go around among the boys, but when it was done and had been brought home, all at once lost my grip, and could hardly get up courage to put 1t on. ~ let it lay for 8 week, until my people got to making fun of me about being afraid to wear it, and finally I put it on and wore it down town after dark. Only 8 few people saw it, and went home feeling satisfied that the worst was over. What wanted was to have the community get accustomed to 1t gradually. After while wore it to my office on days that was going to be busy, so knew I wouldn't have to go around town. After the boys in the office got so they could witness my coat without going behind 8 partition to laugh at me, concluded to wear it on the street.
 "Well, there was an organ grinder with monkey, out on the sidewalk, when I went out, and the beastly Italian had on an old velvet coat, like mine, only soiled. The monkey was jumping around. picking up pennies, and all al once he saw me. I shall never forget the expression on that monkeys face. He seemed to take me for his master, and clearly realized that his master hac procured new coat without asking the consent of his little brother. There was look of pain, as though the monkey felt hurt that such duplicity had beer practiced on him, and then the monkey would look at the clothes in which h, was dressed up with contempt, and the1 he would look at my coat with envy. never felt so sorry for a monkey in al my life. I could stand it to heal strangers say, as passed by, What foo is that, but to see that poor monkey grieve over the style was putting o1 was too much, and resolved if evel got that coat home I would put it where it could never be seen again. The organ grinder became alarmed at the actions of the monkey, and jerked on the chain causing the monkey to turn back sum mersault, and the poor animal came ul standing in front of his master. H. looked at him, and seemed to be at once reassured, and to feel that the apparitio1 was only horrid dream, and then he looked over his shoulder toward where had stood, to make sure, and there I was in all my glory. Then the monkey was mad and began to make up faces at me- and I got out of there and went home with shouts of the monkeys audience sounding in my ears, and I took off thai coat and gave it to the man that took Care of my horse, and I never see vel vet coat, either on boy or man, but think of what confounded fool made of myself in my Oscar Wilde days. Il you have boy, teach him to go through the velvet coat period young, and he | will thank his stars ''-PecE's tSaAl