Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-02-27
A NANKEEN JACKET.


Iconfess that adore 1t, notwithstand-
ing that have good reason to detest 1t.
Truly, human nature is bundle of con-
tradictions
love yellow because Of certain cpl
sode in my life which occurred when
was but years Of age. | love nankeen
above all on account of o jacket of that
material which played in that episode
an important part.
Our school, which had been placed I'M
der the patronage of st. Elizabeth, was
q mixed one-that is to say, up to the
age of 10 years boys and girls worked
and played together. In spite OF occa-
sional quarrels the system, on the whole,
worked very well.
had not been eight days at st. Eliza
beth's before / fell in love. Do not laugh.
loved with all the strength of my child
nature, with love disinterested, simple
sincere.
1t was Georgette whom loved, but
alas, Georgette did not love me.
How much suffered in consequence
used to hide myself in corners, shedding
many tears and racking my brains to find
some means Of pleasing the obdurate fair
one. Labor in vain, thankless task, at
8years of age or at 30.
To distinguish myself in my studies
to win by my exemplary conduct the en-
comiums of the sisters Dulorre-all this
made no impression upon cruel Georg-
cite. She made no secret of her prefer
ence for dull, idle, clustering fellow,
years old, who won all the races, who
could fling ball farther than any one
else, carry two huge dictionaries under
his arm and administer terrible thumps
This hero was rightly nicknamed Met
a-Mort
knew what his blows were like, hav-
ing been the involuntary recipient of
some of them. Some do, | say2 | had
received more than dilatory donkey on
the road to the fairl
And Georgette had only laughedl
Obviously it was absurd to think of
employing physical force against my re-
doubtable rival, and intellectual superb
GRITTY in this case awaited me nothing. |
determined therefore to annihilate Meta
Mort by my overpowering magnifcence
Naturally our parents did not send us
to school attired in our best clothes On
the contrary, most Of us wore there our
oldest and shabbiest garments. Conse-
quently opined that it would be no diff
ficult achievement to outshine all my
schoolfellows
should have to coax my parents into
loosening their purse strings and get
them to buy me a beautiful new jacket
1t took me very long time to decide
what color this jacket should be- men,
tally reviewed all the colors of the rain
bow. Red tempted me, but l doubted
whether a jacket of that color would be
attainable. Should it be blue, green,
indigo, violet? No! Not one of those
colors was sufficiently striking.
paused at yellow. That might do
1t is rich color; there is something
sumptuous and royal about it. Summer
was approaching. decided finally upon
yellow jacket of nankeen.
Without delay l set to work on my
school garments. 1t was II work of do
struction, for / wanted to make them
appear as disreputable as possible.
slyly enlarged the holes, wrenched of
the buttons and decorated my person
lavishly with spots and stains of all
kinds.
In what judged to be an opportunt
moment l timidly expressed my desire
had to do more, much more thar
that. before could obtain my will.
begged, stormed, grumbled, sulked.
became almost ill with hope deferred
At length, for the sake of peace, my
parents granted my eccentric wish.
It was proud moment for me when
for the first time arrayed myself in
that respondent nankeen jacket won al
the cost of SO many struggles. Standing
before the mirror surveyed myself adj
miringly for full hour. Twas grandl
superbl
"Ah, my Lord Met-a-Mort, you will
find yourself ousted at lasti My shining
jacket will soon snatch from you the
prestige acquired by your stupid, brute
force. Georgette, astonished. fascinated,
dazzled and delighted, will run toward
me, for shall now be the handsomest
boy in the school. Met-a-Mort will weep
for chagrin, as have 80 often wept for
jealousy and modification.
Alas, for my rose colored anticipa-
tionsl Twas greeted with broadside
of laughter. Even our gentle mistress,
Ermance Dulorre, could not repress a
smile, and above all other voices l heard
that of Georgette, who cried mirthfully
"Oh, look at himl Look at him! He
is canary bird!"
The word was caught up instantly.
All the scholars shouted in chorus: .'He
is canaryl A canaryr
Words fail to describe my bitter dis
appointment, my burning shame and
chagrin. ! saw my folly now. But it
was too late-the awful deed was dopel
Worse than all, in order to obtain this
now odious jacket had spoiled all my
other jackets and had nothing else to
weari When on the evening of that
most miserable day ! told my troubles