The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1884-06-10
SIR. gsINGsLE'S OLD COAT.

MA. BHNGLE'S OLD COAT.
I "SpIcndl" said Mrs. Bn-c, pulling
the collar up and skirt down, and settling
the pocket flaps, a> Farmer Bingle tried
Oh his new oNcrcoat. Real silk velvet
collar"
! 6, and such A piece of cloth Forty
five dollars for the whole thing"
" hat are you coin to do with the
old onc pa - asked jim
" Its a good coat vet" said Mrs. Bin
Sle. " >am'll be grown into it by two
years more.
Fir,t-ratc coat Eut-I was thnkin'
some OF givin' il to Par>on Graves. You
SO, IL 20 on my account for the year,
and won't have 50 much to pay on his
salary.
Mrs. Ein4c mra,urcd with her eye
how much sam would have t. grow be-
fore hun. wei! into the roomy coat, and
dccided i might br at least three wears,
in thc c"tr>r OF which time, added to the
seven during which it had been dome
duty on Sundays and great occasions, it
might begin to look oll-faShi0ncd, and
sam might object to wearing it, that
young gentleman having already begun
To develop Il taste for clothing which
came reasonably near htting him So it
was agreed ;hat lar>on Graves should
have the old ovcrcoat.
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 -
Bless ms ~ cried Mrs. Binrie. "Ive
been 50 busy over the butter and eggs, if
didn't clear forget aboHt it Sally,
sally She ran into the house calling to
the girl who helped in the kitchen, run
up TO the spare chamber and take that
oVcrcoal that hangs there, and some of
them papers That lays on the shelf, and
wrap it up we'll and bring it to me-"
sally brought it, and The huge bundle
lay IN Mrs. Blngle's lap as she rode.
Ii is good coat,'' she observed, half
regretiully, smoothing with her finger
corner Of the cloth which pceped through
holc III the paper, and again revolving
IN her mind the possibility OF Sans
growing into 1t IN two Years. Sam
Won't he likely to get any ready bought
coat hall 50 good as this
Like i, not lie won',,'' agreed the
farmer, bat never mind. It's more
blessed 20 give than to receive, You
know.
The B.ngle household awoke the next
morning with the impression that some
thIng OF an event was impending in the
family, winch Impression became, with
lull wakutuincss, defined into the remcm-
brance that the new overcoat was to hc
worn for the first time on that day.
There wa, however, no undignitied haste
nor trliiing in the matter. The morning
chores were done, morning prayer con-
ductcl with its -honored lengthiness,
and then the farmer leiSurely shaved him
self. as usual, at one OF the windows in
the great kitchen, before saving, in as in
different a voice rs he could command:
Jim, run up stairs and get my over
coat
Jim went, but delayed until his mother
had put the last touches to the bow in
her bonnet strings a process which was
almost invariably interrupted by her hus-
band with remarks that they would be
late tor church, when he was heard shout
m%:
Il can't find it"
Nv here are YOU lookin' :"
SIN the closet in your room"
It's III the closet in the spare cham
ber," called his father.
Another long delay, and then Jim came
down stairs without ii.
81 tell you its ON one of them pegs in
our closet" said Mrs. Bingle. "I'll 90
myself It's dark and he can't see but
it's there, for put it there myself"
"No," said Mr.. Bingle, calling after
her it's i'll the spare chamber closet. |
put it there"
She was heard stepping brskly from
one room to 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 arm-the
old overcoat!
"When did you hang it there 2"
81 Hknow-the day after it come,
guess. The old one always hung there,
so took it down and hung the new one
there"
Mr. Bingle sank into a chair.
It's gone"
"Gone TO Parson Graves !" The boys
stared, open-mouthed, unable at first
fully TO take in the calamity.
But you caniot geI IL again, aI
length jim said, hopefully.
"Oi course!' said Sam. "You can
tell Parson. Graves it was all mistake,
and it was the old coat you meant for
him, and OF course he'll change it back"
But the farmer shook his head ruefully.
"No, that won't do. It's done, and it
can't be undone," he said with groan.
"Don't one of you ever let on about its
being a mistake"
The family and the old coat were late
at church, thus missing the sight of the
entrance of the new coat, but it lay over
one arm of the little sofa in the pulpit