The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-11
The aiea 1aiu Eagle TucsdaY aornue april Il, 1898

that coat for Ave years more.
Now, says he. wife, l 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 over for a
week. 1t was Of such nice material
and had been SO handsome that it real
" seemed shame 10 throw it away.
1t was like al old friend. One morn
ing when 1 was a-washing, it occurred
to re, Why, it can be dyed. 1t is
such good stuff, it will take the dye
nicely Surely the Lord sent me that
thought.
$50 ripped it up again, and dyed it,
and got a quarter Of yard for q new
collar, and new buttons, and for less
than two dollars he had such good.
looking ovorcoat that it was, 1 an
sure, almost the envy of the country.
Brother Garvin would nave liked to
have seen it, but the good man has
gone to glory"
She stopped for breath. while Sen
ator and Mrs. Merscy looked from enc
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 a Quicter tone. The
first two years the dye held its color
very well. Then it Of course faded and
looked seedy, and l must say, toward
the end, it was very shabby indeed
Then my husband was ashamed to
wear it, and I had mended it all l
could, and | was ashamed to have him.
We both felt badly about it.
You can do nothing more with it.
I've worn it inside and outside, and
reckon now FL have - go without.
Ny husband said this. / knew it was
true, and I went into the bedroom and
had good cry. / reckon / must have
prayed right smart over it, for one
night the inspiration from on high
came to newly not make it over for
a coat for Jimmy? He needs an over
coat. The Lord surely sent that
thought to me.
Jimmy was just ten years old then;
that was four years ago. SO ripped
it up and cut off the worst parts and
made a very good-looking coat for
Jimmy You see, it was such fine ma
terial | couldn't help but use it as the
Lord told ~.
"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
while she stifled a cough.
Where is jimmy" asked Mrs. Mer-
sey, choking. Il should like to see
Jimmy with the overcoat on"
He died two years ago." came the
low reply. ''The Lord took him. I'm
sure he's better off with Him than with
u.s."
The mother broke down. She went
over to her dusky husband and took
his hand and put it on her cheek and
kissed it. 1t was rare caress.
Excuse me-" she said, turning to
her guests in apology. Jimmy was
our youngest, and we loved him so
much. The lord loved him, too,
think, SO He took him where he will
be safe forever"
With that expression of the simple
and supreme faith which puts to shame
all cold and scientific explanations of
the awful mystery of death, she went
out of the room to hide her sorrow.
But soon she came back While she
was gone not word was spoken in the
neat parlor. The old minister could
not speak, and his visitors eyes were
full, and their lips quivered
''Here is the coat" said Mrs. Jack
son, tenderly. She held it up.
What travesty-what a ghost of an
overcoat it was.
The senator from one of the proudest
states in the union looked at it seek
ing for familiar feature. Then he
arose and felt for his pocketbook.
Permit me, madam he SAID. in his
stately way, ''to have the honor of
purchasing that overcoat of you at It's
original price. l should like to take it
to the north. l am sure l can make it
the means of Sc nding down many other
overcoats to your people by giving it's
history as you have told it,
Il don't see how I can, sir" pleaded
the mother. st seems so like an old
friend. and then-and then-it was
Jimmy's!"
Il think you will excuse her, SIR"
said the hus band; you see we've be-
come attached to it''
"Never mind" said the senator's
wife, soothingly; "Iknow another way
of letting the overcoat tell its own
story to generous people"
And l hope she may not be dissatis-
fed with the way it has been told
Herbert d. Ward, in Youths Compan-
ion