Dodge City times., 1891-09-18
OLD CLOTHES.
4 Made-Over Jacket and What Il
Did for Its Owner.

II Carlyle had had my experience his
philosophy Of clothes would have been
modified thereby. I cannot say in just
what particular, but am sure such IN
experience could not have failed 10 A.
tect his views on the subject
was the youngest Of . family Of
six, and the law of succession to cast
OF garments being firmly established
In the family, was brought up In old
clothes. Ny sister Hannah was the
eldest. next to her came Maria, then
came Tom, my only brother. followed
by the twins, Ludora and Isabella, and
last. and in all respects least. made
my entrance into the family.
suppose the law of succession afore-
mentioned was q necessary feature Of
my mothers domestic economy, for she
was left widow shortly after my
birth, without an abundance with
which to support the family. Maria,
being but Q year and half younger
than Hannah, was very near her In
size, and seldom had to suffer the infe-
ncity Of wearing her outgrown or out
worn clothes The fact Of Hannah's
having q new article of dress or adorn-
ment was generally considered . suf1-
oient reason that Maria should have It
Tom. being the only boy. was favored;
and he was the only one who was per-
mitted anything like extravasance in
dress His cast-oH garments were
given to our neighbor, Mrs hobbs,
still poorer than we, to be converted
into garments for ''the little Hobbses, :"
Is we used to call her numerous on
spring. Ludora and Isabella openly
resented the ''made-over" garments
furnished them from Hannah and Ma
ria's wardrobes, and soon outgrew
the possibility of being forced to
wear them; but l think I must have
been q poor-spirited child, for I not
only stayed little" so long that when
had. at last, grown tall the fact was
quite ignored, but generally accepted
what was given me uncomplainingly.
and when, on one occasion. did give
an angry expression to my detestation
of our clothes and my desire for new
ones, the family were astounded. My
mother said she would not have
thought it possible for her little Bah to
show such Q naughty temper and selfish
spirit; and. seeing that had brought
her to the verge Of tears. I refrained
from further complaint though the
'1ittle Bah" was, ct that moment, -
offensive to me as the cast-oH gar
mentA
l never liked the name Of "Bab,
which, in fact Is not my name, and
really is not name 1t all, being mere
ly = contraction Of baby, which had
been worn for . short time by every
child in the family, except the twins.
to whom it could not be conveniently
applied. and had. at last. like the old
clothes. been given to me in final pos
session. while my own regal-sounding
name Of Minerva had been Laid
away, presumably as too good for my
everyday wear. To the title of "Bab,"
sufficiently diminutive in itself, was
generally added the diminutive ad-
iective ''little, =" and was called 'slittle
Bah" until ! was fully Eve feet five,
which is . little more than the height
Of either Hannah or Maria; but they
possessing moro svoirdupois and Inn
portance than /. no one ever thought
Of calling them little.
That this much wearing Of Old
clothes had . manifest eject upon my
destiny win clearly appear from tho
facts which IN about to relate. At
the time Of which I shall speak.
Hannah and Maria were both married,
and Tom was in his senior year in the
college At D. An epidemic OF
measles causing the college to close
earlier than usual. he came home in
March. accompanied by friend who
was a teacher there. ! was absent on
. visit to my Aunt Maria when they
arrived. and when I returned home.
this friend, Randolph Morcy " name
whom Ludora and Isabella. though
they were both engaged declared to
be ''spleaGidr' bad gone on, taking Ton
with hin. - Mt Fs1ss1v~s n I"