The evening call. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1891-1893, 1893-06-27

and then, as the material was so fine
it would be as good as new.
"'But suppose you can't fit tn
- pieces together, said he, then l shal
be without any coat.
pe You give me the coat and jus
: trust me, said |. So | ripped it W
and cleaned it, and sewed 1t together
and sure enough. it was almost a
good as new. put on it a new col
i: lar and new buttons. | declare /
made the good man quite too vain t.
IS live, for Deacon Garvin said to him
Where did you get your ney
IS overcoat, Brother Jackson? Has tn
lightning of the Lord struck you
L hOuse?'
1T has, he said The Lord ha
given me powerful wife. It's the
, same old overcOat of Senator Mersey's
turned inside OUT
sit was such beautiful material,
you see, Mrs Mersey! And he wore
that coat for five years more.
8 Now says he, wife, | suppose
shall have to throw Senator Mersey's
) overcoat away It's getting almost
!, too shabby to wear
And | had to confess that it was
pretty bad, all stained and colored
with age. But | thought it lover for a
week. 1t was of such nice material
and had been SO handsome that it
really seemed a shame to throw it
away. 1t was like an old friend.
One morning when 1 was a-washIng.
/ fn - l.
dyed. 1t is such good stuff, it will
take dye nicely Surely the Lord
sent me that thought.
$50 | ripped it up again, and dyed
it, and got a quarter Of yard for
new collar, and new buttons, and for
less than two dollars, he had such a
good-looklng overcoat that it was, l
! am sure, almost the envy of the coun-
try. Brother Garvtn would have
liked to have seen it, but the good
man has gone to Glory"
She stopped for breath, while Sena-
tor and Mrs. Mersey looked from one
to another with the smiles that
border on tears.
"Well, do you know, my husband
wore that coat for five years more"
she began, in quieter tone 1.-The
drst two years the dye held it's color
very well. Then it Of course faded
and looked seedy, and l must say, to-
ward the end, it was very shabby in
deed. Then my husband was ashamed |
to wear it, and L have mended it all |
| could, and | was ashamed to have
him. We both felt badly about it.
"'You can do nothing more with
1T I've worn it inside and outside,
and reckon now I'll have to go with
out My husband said this. knew
1t was true, and went into the bed
room and had good cry. | reckon I
must have prayed right smart over it,
for one night the inspiration from on
high came to newly not make il
over for a coat for Jimmy? He needs
an overcOat. The Lord surely sent
that thought to me.
Jimmy was just ten years old
then; that was four years ago. So I
ripped it I'D, and cut off the worst
parts, and made very good-looking
coat for Jimmy. You see it was such {
fine material, [ couldn't help but use 5
1T as the Lord told me.
You ought to have seen Jimmy
strut around with that coat on. He
thought it was the finest coat in
town, and so warm
She stopped and looked at her hus- :
band, and wiped away a furtive tear Z
while she stifled cough.
''Where is Jimmy?" asked Mr.
Mersey, choking 81 should like "
see Jimmy with the overcoat on"
''He died two years ago" came thu !
ow reply, 1.-THE Lord took him. i
I'm sure he's better off with Him than (.
With u.s." !
The mother broke down. She went a
'ver TO her dusky husband, and took
lis hand, and put it on her cheek and
kissed it. 1t was rare caress.
Excuse me-" she said turning to v
Ter gusts in apology. Jimmy was S
'ur youngest, and we loved him so t.
much. The Lord loved him, too, /
hink, and so He took him where he
will be safe forever"
With that expression of the simple
nd supreme faith which puts to
hame all cold ami scientific explana-
ions of the awful mystery of death,
he went ont OF thv room to hide her
orrOW.
But soon she came back. While
he was gone, not a word was spoken
n the neat parlOr. The old minister
oul1 not speak, and his visitors eyes
we're full, and their lips quivered.
Here is the coat" said Mrs. Jack
on, tenderly. She held it up.
What a travesty-what a ghost of
n OyercOat it was.
The Senator from one of the proud
st States in the Union looked at it
eeking for familiar feature. Then
e arose and felt for his pocket-bnok.
Permit me, madam" he said. in m
is stately way, ITO have the honor "
t purchasing that overcoat Of YOU at tt
s original price. | should like to Jl
axe it to the North am sure |
an make il the means of sending
own many other. overcoats to your -.
eople, by giving its history as you V ~
ave told it,"