Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1884-08-29
NIB, sINaLEs OLD COAT.

"Splendid." said Mrs. Bingle, pulling
the collar up and skirt down, and settling
the pocket flaps, rs farmer Bingle tried Oh
! the new oyercoat. "ReAl silk velvet col
larn
eyes, and such piece of cloth! Forty
five dollars for the whole thing"
"Forty.five dollars!' echoed sam and
! Jim admirimgly.
eyes. Seventeen for the tailorin' and
trimmin's, and twenty-eight for the cloth
It'll do me till I'm gray"
"What you going to do with the OLD
one, pay" asked jim.
otis a good coat YET" said Mrs. Bingle.
"Sam'll be grown into it by two years
more"
"First-rate coat Butt was thinking
some OF givin' it to Parson Graves. You
| see it'll 90 on my account for year, and
won't have so much to pay on his salary"
Mrs. Bingle measured with her eye how
much Sam would have to grow before tit
ting well into the roomy coat, and decided
it might be ut least three years, in the
course of which time, added to the seven
during which it had been doing service on
| Sunday and great occasions, it might be-
| gin to look old-fashioned, and Sam might
object to wearing it, that young gentleman
having already developed taste for cloth
ing which came reasonably near fitting
him. So it was agreed that Parson Graves
should have the old overcoat.
Accordingly, on the next Saturday,
when the farmer and his wife were about
to drive into the country town, he asked
at the last moment:
"Now, where's that coat?"
"Blcss me-" cried Mrs. Binglc, owe
been so busy over that butter and eggs, if
I didn't clean forget about It, Sally,
Sally" she ran into the house, calling to
the hired girl who helped in the kitchen,
''run up to the spare chamber and take
that overcoat that hangs there, and some
of them papers that lay on the shelf, and
wrap it up well and bring it to me-"
Sally brought it, and the huge bundle
lay in Mrs. Bingle's lap as she rode.
Tt's a good coat" she observed, half
rcgretfully, smoothing with her hand
corner of the cloth which peeped through
a hole in the paper, and again revolving
in her mind the possibility of Sans grow
ing in two years. "Sam won't be likely
to get any ready bought coat half as good
as this"
"Like rs not he WON'T" agreed the far
mer, "but never mind. 'lt's more blessed
to give than to receive you know"
The Binsle household awoke the next
morning with the impression that some
thing of an event was impending with the
family, which impression became, with
full wakefulness, defined into the remem-
braace that the new overcoat was 10 be
worn for the first time that day. There
was, however, nc unGigniiied haste or
trifling in the matter. The morning chores
were done, morning prayer conducted
with the time-honored lengthiness, and
then the farmer lrsurely shaved himself
as usual, ut one of the windows of the
great kitchen, before saying in as indiiler-
ent voice us he could command:
sJim, run upstairs and get my over
coat"
Jim went, but delayed until his mother
had put the finishing touches to the bow
in he- bonnet strings, a process which
was invariably interrupted by her hus-
hand witl the remark that they would be
late for church, before he was heard shout
ing:
81 can't find it,"
"Where are you looking?"
"In the closet in your room"
'It's in the closet in the small cham
ber," called the father. Another long de-
lay, aud then Jim came downstairs with
out il.
81 tell you it's on one Of them pegs in
our closet" said Mrs. Bingle. OH go
myself. It's dark, and lie can't see; but
it's there, for put it there myself"
"No," said Mr. Bingle, calling after
her, "it's in the spare chamber closet.
put it there"
She was heard stepping briskIy from
one room 10 another, theE back, and then
back again. Then downstairs, " hen she
stood before them in silence, on her face
black CONSERVATION, and on her arm-the
old overcoat.
"When did you put il there:"
4 rIa of. 7
guess. The old one always hung there,
SO took it down and hung the new one
there"
Mrs. Bingle sank into a chair.
..