Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-01-11
AN UMBRELLA.
1t Tells Some Interesting Rom
iniscences of It's Life.

1nlBC0nceS OF lJ6 Lilo.
Lying here on the floor Of a closet,
my head loose, one of my ribs In
twain and two others mended with
bootlace, am no longer the umbrella
| have been. But, though my expe-
riences may seem dark, | am not q
cynic. have had my gay moments au
well as my misfortunes II men have
grumbled Mt me because ! would not
open, sweet words OF love have been
whispered beneath my covering; and
IL many have owned me, one has paid
for me, Omitting all reference to my
early years, why should not now, as
other veterans have done, set down
some "reminiscences Of the men and
women have known The first man
with whom | had any close acquaint-
ance was n minister lie came into the
shop where | originally saw the light,
and said that he wanted an umbrella
The kind he wanted was very good
one, of pure silk, and his only stipula-
ton was that II should be as cheap as
alpaca.
John" said my maker to his assist
ant, SHOW the gentleman u marquis,
and keep the price down"
am a marquis, and after trying
thirty-three of us the minister selected
me. While he was taking sixpence off
the price he had a conversation with
my maker, which l 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, rs he
rolled me up very tight (for he was
young mani, "it seems to me that all
ministers carry umbrellas"
That's another tn n.y." says my
maker.
you mean," says the minister, ques-
tioningly, that we have them pre-
scented to u.s."
That's delicate way Of putting it."
says my maker. 81 don't think you
have been long a ministerp"
| NO" says the minister.
After you have been" says my
maker, winldng to John, IN lose your
custom"
hth ONhCE anu WtuL hlOuk
the street have nothing to say
against him, except that he took me off
in fine weather, always keeping me
tightly rolled up, and he spent hours in
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. lie called
himself a minister, but as IL turned out
he was only divinity student, and 1t
was at the college that we parted.
That was seventeen days after he
bought me, and / can still remember
the affectionate glance he gave me as
he put me into the rack, where there
were about q dozen other u:nb.cllas,
and two sticks with brass knobs. That
day II rained. The first to leave the
room was the professor, handsome
man of noble coantenance. and when
he saw the rain he turned back to the
rack and looked at the umbrellas |
was tho best, SO. after looking at the
others, he picked me out, put me up
and walked home beneath me, u beau
tiful look still lurking ON his benevo-
lent face.
This eminent college professor is No.
Of the men have known, and during
the three weeks in which belonged
to lin lac called me his new umbrella.
One, heard lis daughter (whOsc UNI
brclla / should have liked to bel usli
him why lie TOOL; me everywhere cX-
ccpt to college, and the good old man
replied that the students were given Ia
taking away other peoples umbrellas.
Once during this ti.ac set eyes upua
my first owner, and for u moment |
| Thought ! was 10 b. restored to him.
lie and some other students came To
the house to tea, AMI whcl he saw Inc
in the professors rack he exclaimed:
That ulnOrclla," he said, pointing
to me, lis the very image of one lost
ut the college the other day"
The professor was standing by, tell
ing his guests as they came in, one by
one, that it had been frosty cay, and
when he heard this remark about mc
he said in his kindly voice that one um-
brella is very like another
You students" lie added, ought TO
be more careful about your umbrellas
/ am constantly hearing complaints
about their going astray."
Then he took them all into his study,
but after little he came out and hid
me behind the hall clock. That
thought, was the last would see of my
first owner, but 1t was not SO. The
daughter of the house, to whom have
already referred, had overheard the
talk about me, and / saw her at he
time look queerly at her father. When
the student was going she came to the
door with him, and | heard them say
something about the usual place at
five o'clock" Then she called him
back, and running 10 the clock felt for
me with her hand, just as II she knew
that her father often put umbrellas
there. She thrust me into the students
hand, muttering something about pa
! pas being very nbsent-minded. Thus
was restored to the student, but only
for u brief space,
On the following Friday afternoon he
took me TO the class again, and once
moro the professor was first to leave,
His eyes lighted up when he saw me,
and he half drew me from the rack
Then he caught sight of another UNI
brella with an ebony handle, the owner
of which was also a student lie com
pared us for moment, felt the ma
terals and finally went OFF with tn,
pnn Whom ito nvypar could upi