The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-04-16
Mr.. Bingle's Old Coat.


the collar up and skirt down, and settling
the pocketfaps, as farmer Bingle tried on
his new overcoat. "Real silk velvet
collar p
ayes, and such piece of cloth Forty
five dollars for the whole thing"
"Forty-fve dollars ~ echoed Sam and
Jim, admiringly.
eyes. Seventeen for the tailorin' and
trimmin's, and twenty eight for the cloth.
It'll do me till I'm gray"
"What you goin' to do with the old one,
pa ?" asked Jim.
otis good coat yet, said Mrs. Bingle.
Sam'll be grown into it by two years
more"
"First-rate coat. Butt was thinkin'
some of givin' it to Parson Graves. You
see It'll go on my account for the 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
fitting we'll into the roomy coat, and de-
cided it might be at least three years, in
the course of which time, added to the
seven during which it had been doing
duty on Sunday and great occasions, it
might begin to look old.fsshioned, and
Sam might object to wearing it, that young
gentleman having already begun to de.
velop a taste for clothing 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 with his wife was about
to drive into the country town, he asked
at the last moment:
"Now, where's that coat ?"
"Bless me " cried Mrs. Bingle, GIVE
been so busy over that butter and eggs, if
didn't clear forget about 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
overcoat that hangs there, and some of
them Papers that lay on the shelf, and
wrap it up we'll and bring it to me-"
Sally brought it, and the huge bundle
lay in Mrs. Bingle's lap as she rode.
1t is good coat" she observed, half
regretfully, smoothing with her finger
corner of the cloth which peeped through
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 as not he won't" agreed the
farmer, "but never mind. It's more
blessed to give than to receive, you know"
The Bingle household awoke the next
morning with the impression that some
thing of an event was impending with the
family, which impression became, with
full wskefulness, defined into the remem-
brance that the new overcoat was to be
worn for the first time on that day.
There was, however, no undignified haste
nor trifling in the matter. The morning
chores were done, morning prayers con-
Quoted with the time-honored lengthiness,
and then the farmer leisurely shaved him
self as usual, at one of the windows of the
great kitchen, before saying, in as in
different voice as 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, process which was al.
most invariably interrupted by her hus-
band with remarks that they would be
late for church, before he was heard
shouting
81 can't find it,"
"Where are you lookin'? ?"
In the closet in your ROOM"
"It's in the closet in the spare cham
ber," called the father.
Another long delay, and then Jim came
down stairs without it.
81 tell you it's on one of them pegs in
our closet" said Mrs. Bingle. an go
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 in the spare chamber closet. l
put it there"
She was heard stepping briskly from
one room to another, then back, and then
back again. Then down stairs, when she
stood before them in silence, on her face
blank CONSERVATION, and on her arm--the
old overcoat J.
"When did you hang it there ?"
81 d'know-the day after it came, /
guess. The old one always hung there, 80
took it down and hung the new one there
Mrs. Bingle sank into chair.
ats gone"
"Gone to Parson Graves The boys
stared, open mouthed, unable at first fully
to take in the calamity.
"But you can get it again." at length
Jim said, hopefully.
"Of 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 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 a groan.
"Don't one of you never let on about its
bein' 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 sofa in the pulpit. And
Farmer Bingle never could recall word
of that service through which he sat try
ing to bring himself into some friendly
recognition of the fact that he had pre-.
sented his minister with a forty.fve dollar
overcoat, which he could not hope to
have count at anything near its full value
on his yearly assessment, for who ever
heard of country parson having such a
coat ?
"Jings Don't he look fine, though"
calculated Sam, as MIR. Graves came down
the aisle.
Sand don't Mrs. Graves look set up p
said Jim.
"Enough tp make any woman to happ