The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-03-07
SIR. BINGLRS OLD COAT.

tried on his new overcoat. "Real silk
velvet collar!"
Eyes, and such piece of cloth!
Forty-fve dollars for the whole thing.
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, pap" asked Jim.
"It's q good coat YETI said Mrs.
Bingle. ''Sam Il be grown into it by
two years more"
'Eirst-rate coat. But was thinkin'
some Of giyin' it to Parson Graves. You
see, it'll 90 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 well into the roomy coat,
and decided it might be at least three
years, in the course of which time, adj
ded to the seven during which it had
been doing duty on Sundays and great
occasions, it might begin to look old
fashioned, and Sam might object to-
wearing it, that young gentleman hav-
ing already begun to develop taste
for clothing which came reasonably
near fitting him. So it was agreed that
Parson Graves should have the old over
coat.
Accordingly, on the next Sunday,
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 mel" cried Mrs. Bingle,
"rve 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 lays on the shelf, and wrap it mp
well and bring it to me-"
Sally brought il, and the huge ban
die lay in Mrs. Bingle's lap as she
rode.
cit is a good coat" she observed,
half-regretfully, smoothing with her
finger q corner of the cloth which
peeped through hole in the paper,
and again revolving in her mind the
possibility of SANS growing into it 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, yon
know"
The Bingle household awoke the next
morning with the impression that some
thing of an event was impending in
the family, which impression became,
with full wakefulness, defined into the
remembrance that the new overcoat
was to be worn for the firstUime on that
day. There was, however, no undigni-
fled haste nor trifling in the matter.
The morning chores were done, morn
ing prayer conducted with its time
honoredlengthiness, and then the farmer
leisurely shaved himself as usual, at
one of the windows of the great
kitchen, before saying, in as indif-
ferent voice as he could commands:
Jim, run upstairs 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
husband with remarks that they would
be late for church, before he was heard
shouting:
81 can't find it.
"Where are you lool1in'P"
"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 it.
Il tell you it's on one of them pegs in
our closet,h said Mr.. Bingle. "I'll 90
myself. It's dark, and he can't see, but
it's there, for | put it there myself"
"No," said Mrs Bingle, calling after
her, ''it's in the spare chamber-closet.
put it there"
She was heard stepping briskly from
one room to another, then back, and
then back again. Then down the stairs,
when she stood before them in silence,
on her face blank CONSERVATION, and on
her arm the old overcoat!
"When did you hang it therep
81 don't know-th day after it come,
Iguess. The old one always hung there.
so | took it down and hung the new one
there"
Mrs. Bingle sank into chair.
ats gone"
"Gone to Parson Graves" The bows
stared, open-mouthed, unable at first
fully to take in the calamity.
"But you can get it again, at length
Jim said, hopefully.
''0f course!n 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 rue
fully.
mo, that won't do. It's done. and it
can't be undone," he said, with 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 Law over
one arm of the little SOFA in the pulpit.
And Farmer Bingle never could recall a
word OF that service through which he
sat trying to bring himself into some
friendly recognition of the fact that he
had presented his minister with a forty
SANO 0OAAetA OfCACOStt, W 1lOil DG COuiu nOB
hope to have count at anything near its
full value on his yearly assessment, for
who ever heard of country parson hay
ing such coat?
''Jings Don't he look fine, though
circulated Sam, as Mr.. Graves came
doan the aisle.
"'And don't Mrs. Graves look set upr'
said Jim.
Enough tomake any woman to hanc
en- to a piece of cloth like that said
Mrs. Bingle.
Mr.. Bingle was unhitching his horses
as Mr.. Graves came out of the church
door, and did not at first raise his eyes
as he listened to the remarks passing
around.
BLESS me! What fne-lookin' fell
low our parson is, anyhow! Where on
earth did he get that coat?n
'.Must have had fortune left him.
Mr.. Bingle could not help feeling
that the coat had been well bestowed,
as its wearer came to meet him with
outstretched hands and a few quiet,
though very earnest words of acknowl-
ed2ement of his oift. The coat had