The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-12-30
AN UMBRELLA.
It Tells Some Interesting Rem
iniscences of It's Life.

Lying here on the floor of closet,
twain and two others mended with a
bootlace, am no longer the umbrella
I have been. But, though my expe-
riences may seem dark, l am not a
cynic. have had my gay moments as
well as my misfortunes. If men have
grumbled at me because would not
open, sweet words Of love have been
whispered beneath my covering; and
If many have owned me, one has paid
for me. Omitting all reference to my
early years. why should not now, as
some "reminiscences of the men and
women l have known? The first man
with whom l had any close acquaint-
ance was minister. He came into the
shop where / originally saw the light,
and said that he wanted an um brella.
The kind he wanted was n very good
one, of pure silk, and his only stipula-
tion was that it should be as cheap as
alpaca.
'John," said my maker to his assist
ant, 'show the gentleman a marquis,
and keep the price down"
am marquis, and after trying
thirtythrce of us the minister selected
me. While he was taking sixpence of
the price he had a conversation with
my maker, which did not under.
stand at the time, though well know
its meaning now.
"You are the first minister" said my
maker, who has bought an umbrella
to my knowledge for the last nine
months"
"Why," said my new owner, as ht
rolled me up very tight (for he was {
young man), sit seems to me that al
ministers carry umbrellas"
That's another tn ng," says my
maker.
You mean," says the minister, ques
tioningly, "that we have them pre-
sented to u.s."
"That's delicate way of putting it,
says my maker. 81 don't think yor
have been long minister?"
'No," says the minister.
"After you have been," says my
maker, winking to John, "I'll lose YOU
custom"
Then my owner and went off along
the street. 1 have nothing to say
against him, except that he took me of
, in fine weather, always keeping mt
tightly rolled up, and he spent hours il
his lodgings trying to roll me tighter
don't know that any of my owners
loved me as this first one did, and
think the reason was because he alone
bought and paid for. me. He callet
/ himself minister, but as it turned ou
he was only divinity student. and i
was at the college that we parted
That was seventeen days after III
bought me, and / can still remember
7, the affectionate glance he gave me a
he put me into the rack, where ther'
were about dozen other umbrellas
and two sticks with brass knobs. Tha
f., day it ra:ned. The first to leave thu
room was the professor, handsom,
man of noble countenance, and whel
he saw the rain he turned back to tn,
, rack and looked at the umbrellas.
was the best, so. after looking at tn,
, Others he picked me out, put me VI
! and walked home beneath me, beau
tiful look still lurking ON his benevo
lent face
This eminent college professor is No
2 of the men have known, and during
the three weeks in which belonge.
/ to him he called me his new umbrella
! Once heard his daughter (whose um
| brella i should have liked to be) asl
him why he .ools me everywhere ex
cept to college, and the good old maj
| ov,1f faI thnf l,., a, =
taking away other peoples umbrellas
Once during this time set eyes upo
my first owner, and for moment
thought ] was to be restored to him
He and some other students came t
the house to tea, and when he saw m
in the professors rack he exclaimed:
That umbrella" he said, pointin
to me. "is the very image of one los
at the college the other day."
| The professor was standing by, tel
ing his guests as they came in, one b
one, that it lad been frosty DAY, an
when he heard this remark about IN
he said in his kindly voice that one un
brella is .ery like another.
you Students" he added, ''ought
be more careful about your umbrellas
am constantly hearing complaint
about their going astray."
Then he took them all into his stud,
but after little he came out and hi
me behind the hall clock. That,
thought, was the last l would see of III
first owner, but it was not so Th
daughter of the house, to whom I llav
already referred, had overheard TIL
talk about me, and 1 saw her Mt III
time look queerly at her father Whe
the student was going she came 10 tn
door with him, and heard tn a sa
something about 1.-THE usual place .
five O'Clock" Then she called hil
back, and running to the clock iclt fc
me with her hand, just as il shs kne'
that her father often put umbrells
| there. She thrust me into the student
hand, muttering something about p'
pas being very absent-minded. Thu
! was restored TO the student, but onl
/ for brief space,
On the .ollowing Friday afternoon /
took me to the class aGain, and ono
more the professor was first to leav'
His eyes lighted up when he saw M
and he half drew me from the racl
linen he caught sight OF another un
brella with an ebony handle, the owns
OF which was also q student He con
pared US for moment, felt the III
terials and finally went off with tt
other one When its owner could NJ