The Bossier banner., 1894-01-18
AN UMBRELLA.
t Tells Some Interesting Rem
iniscences Of It's Life.


iniscences Of It's Life.
Lying here on the floor of a closet,
my head loose, one of my ribs in
twain and two others mended with a
bootlace, am no longer the umbrella
/ have been. But though my expe-
riences may seem dark, l am not
cynic. have had my gay moments as
well as my misfortunes If men have
grumbled at me because l would not
open, sweet words of love have been
whispered beneath my covering; and
if ma1y have owned me, one has paid
for me- Omitting all reference to my
carly years, why should l not now, as
other veterans have done, set down
some "reminiscences of the men and
women | have known? The first man
with whom l had any close acquaint-
ance was minister. He came into the
shop where l originally saw the light,
and said that he wanted an um brella
The kind he wanted was very good
one, of pure silk and his only stipula-
ton 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"
l 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, as he
rolled me up very tight (for he was
young mani, ''it seems to me that all
ministers carry umbrellas"
That's another thing" 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 you
have been long minister?"
No" says the minister.
After you have been,' says my
maker, winking to John, "I'll lose your
custom"
Then my owner and went off along
the street l have nothing to say
against him, except that he took me off
In line weather, always keeping me
tghtlY rolled up, and he spent hours in
MS lodgings trying to roll me tighter.
don't know that any of my owners
loved me as this first one did, and l
tnlnk the reason was because he alone
bought and paid for me- He called
himself a minister, but as it turned out
ne was only divinity student, and it
was at the college that we parted.
mat was seventeen days after he
oought me, and | can still remember
.he atfectionate glance he gave me as
Ae put me into the rack, where there
were about dozen other umbrellas,
and two sticks with brass knobs. That
Gay 1t rained. The first to leave the
room was the professor, handsome
man of noble countenance, and when
ne saw the rain he turned back to the
rack and looked at the umbrellas. l
was the best, So after looking at the
o1ners, he picked me out, put me up
ana walked home beneath me, a beau
,ilul look still lurking on his benevo-
lent face
This eminent college professor is No.
aof the men have known, and during
the three weeks in which ! belonged
W MN he called me his new umbrella.
once heard his daughter (whose UNI
u.eha l should have liked to be) ask
an why ne took me everywhere ex-
oept TO college, and the good old man
replied that the students were given to
eahing away other peoples umbrellas.
once during this time l set eyes upon
NY nrst owner, and for a moment
roughe was to be restored to him.
ne ana some other students came to
.ne mouse to tea, and when he saw me
n .ne professors rack he exclaimed:
mat umbrella" he said, pointing
" me- rs the very image of one l lost
a' Ine college the other day."
1ne professor was standing by, tell
s ms guests as they came in, one by
u Ule' ehat 1t had been frosty day, and
Aon ne heard this remark about me
h, ~ salo In his kindly voice that one UNI
'fella is very like another.
lou students" he added, ''ought to
T more careful about your umbrellas.
- m constantly hearing complaints
"oout 70, their going astray."
.uen ne took them all into his study,
~ ~ siter little he came out and hid
sLs 10 oelind the hall clock, That.
H'saEak was the last ] would zee OF my