Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-05-17
MR.. BINGLE'S OLD COAT.

Mh, hlNulh 3 ULD UUAl,
splendid said Mrs. Bingle, pulling
the collar up and skir; down, and settling
the poke; flaps, as farmer Binglc tried on
his new oyercoat. Real silk velvet col
lar!"
Yes. and such Z piece of cloth Forty
five dollars for the whole thing"
What are you goin' 70 90 wish the old
one PAP" asked jim.
It's good coat ye., sad Ms Bingle,
SaEnll be grown into i by Two years
more"
Fi-st-rate coat But was thinkin'
some Of givin' it 10 Parson Graves. You
see, it'll go on my account for the year,
and ! won't have so much 70 pay4on has
salary"
Mrs. Bingle measured with her eye how
much Sa:u would have to grow before nj
ting well into the ro0Iny coat, and decided
it 77.git be at least three years, in the course
Of which time, added to the seven during
which it had been doing duty on Sundays
and great occasions, it might begin TO look
oId-tashioned, and Sam might object 10
wearing II, that young gentleman having
already begun 70 develop 4 taSte1uT C.othlng
which came reasonably near fitting him.
SO il was agreed that Pars Oh Graves should
have the old oyercoat.
Accordingly, On the next Saturday. when
me farmer and his wife were about 70 drive
into the country town, lie asked a tie -ast
moment:
Now, where's that coat
Bless me !" cried Mrs. BiEcle, I re
, H. y ?
didn't clear forget about il Sally. Sally,
She ran into the house calling 20 the girl VINO
helped in the kitchen run up 10 the spare
chamber and take that oyercoat that hangs
there. ar d some Of them papcrs that LAYS
on the shelf and wrap il up well, and
bring il to me
Sally brought IT, and the huge bundle lay
in Mrs. Bingle's zap as she rode
i IS a good coat she observed half
regretfullv smoothing with her finger a
corner Of the cloth winch peeped through
hole in the paper, and again revolving in
ner mind the possibility OF Sans growing
INTO IT in two wears Sam won't bclikelv
20 get any ready bought coat haI 50 good
Is this
Like rs not he won't. agreed The
farmer. buc never mind It's more blessed
TO rive than 10 receive. YOU know"
The Eing!e household awoke the next
morning with the impression that some
thing 81 an event was impendine in the
family. which impression became. with
full wakefulness. defined into the renlem-
brance that thcnew oyercoat was to be worn
Tor the first time on tina; dav There was,
however. no unidentified haste nor triliug
IN the matter The morning chores Were
done, morning prayer conducted with It's
time-honored lengthiness, and then the
farmer leisurelv shaved himself. as usual,
AZ oneof the windows in the great kitchen.
before saying, in as Indifferent 4 voice as he
could command:
jim. run up stairs and get my over
coat"
Jim went. but DELAYED until his mother
aad nat the last touches TO the bow in her
bonnet-strings. a process which was almost
invariably interrupted 10y her husband
with remarks that they would be late for
church. before he was heard shouting
can't find it
Where are YOU lookiu' %
In the closet in your room
Its in the closet in the spare chamber,
called his father.
Another long delay, and then Jim came
down stairs without IL
&c tell you it's on one Of them pegs IN
our closet, said Mrs. Bingle. I'm gomy-
self Its dark and he can't see but its
there, for I put it there myself.
No. said Nh Bingle, calling after Eer ;
its in the spare chamber closet. put II
there
She was heard Stepping briskly from one
room 10 another, then back, and then back
again. then down stairs, where she stood
before them in silence, on her face blank
CONSERVATION. and on her arID-the Olc
oyercoat
When did YOU hang IL there 2'
Il d'now-the day after 1t come, guess.
The old one ALWAYS hung there so ] TOOK i
Gown and hung the new one there
Mrs. Bingle sank into a chair.
ITS gone
Gone 10 Parson Graves :" The boys
stared. opcn-noutheG. unable NJ first fully
10 take in the calamity.
% Rnt Won can get II again. atieneth jim
said honenllIy
0f ceurscf" said sam. You can tell
Po-son Graves II was all 2 mistake. and il
.as The old coat Won nleaslt for him. and OF
eCl,rSe he'jj c,-,,i5,e il hack
But the farmer shook his head rUefuilv.
No that Won do ITS done and il
can't be- ,udone he said with a Croan.
- Don one of you ever let on about its be-
inc a mistake
The family and the Old coat were late at
church Tins uis,ins, the,eiobt of the en-
trance of the new coat, nut it Lag over one
arm of the little sofa in the pulpit And
farmer Binrlc never could recall a word OF
that service through which ne sat irving 10
bring himself INTO some friendly recocui-
ton Of the fact that he had presented ms
minister with a iortv-iiye dollar Overcoa,,
which he could not hope 10 have count AZ
anything near its fan value or his yearly
assessment, tor who ever heard Of a country
parson hayiugsach coat?