The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1899-01-13
How Phil Got His Overcoat.

me on to scheme to make some money"
Uncle Allan looked up from the news
paper he was reading, and said: "Well,
Frank, what is the extremity?'
ut isn't for myself, uncle. but it is to
help another boy
ooh, l see. 1t is easy enough to get
have them work as you wish to have
them 1t must be straight, honest
scheme, of course"
oh, certainly, uncle. You know l
would not 90 into dishonest crooked
transaction for anything, and the cause
| would not warrant it"
Uncle Allan put his newspaper down
and leaned his head back against the
h,gh-backed rocking-chair. Nov,
Frank he said, Il am ready to hear the
reason for getting up money scheme
Frank sat down in chair at the other
side Of the library table. His face showed
that his heart was almost bursting with
the enthusiastic desire to find out a good
way to help somebody.
You know how cold it was last Sun
day, uncle, and that mother told me to
wear my new overcoat; Every other boy
in our Sunday-school class had OH a new
oyercoat, too, all but Phil Downes.
He did not have on any at all, and
when he turned the corner by the
| church where the wind sweeps through
at such rate of speed, he must
have shivered and shaken with the
cold. Pills father went to war
and caught the fever and died in camp.
He was very kind father. 1 used to 90
always was so pleasant to the boys who
We're Pills chums. | don't know how
Phil lives without him. I am sure i,
would kill me to have my father die.
None of the fathers of the other boys in
our set went to war, but Pills. He went
as a private soldier, but he was a hero
Just as much as the big generals. for he
''That is true. my boy. Pills father
was hero, and he, and others as well
whose names are not known to the world,
deserve honor from their country
phil and | are great chums, and he
tells me things he does not tell the other
boys. He said he could not do as he
used to when his father was alive and
had good salary; that his mother had
only a small income-they had to move
Phil is fine scholar, beats us all in
arithmetic and grammar-the two studies
L am ashamed to say | have not much
affinity for. His mother says he must
keep on in school, though Phil told me
he tried to have her let him go to work.
1t makes me feel so sorry to have a dead
soldiers boy going around in the cold
weather without an overcoat, because his
father went to war and never came home
again" Franks eyes really had big tears
IF Phil has an overcoat at all he needs
it right off, Uncle Allan said "While
you have been talking, I've been think
ing and scheming. l know you would
like to give him that. overcoat yourself,
ana you have not cent to your credit
Is that the way Of it?''
Ihe very way replied Frank
1T has always been against my prin.
strange, but nevertheless true. that if You
pay for work before the money is earned
the work is long time getting done and
quite likely not to be satisfactory. But
this is an emergency. l might break nv
rule for once and advance the. money for
Pills overcoat, and you might give me
your work of honor to pay for it in work.
for it yourself"
YES. uncle, and I will promise you
faithfully to do whatever you wish me
to-"
1--WE will say that Pills overcoat costs
SIS or $40, Frank. l will give YOU 81
every Saturday for helping me in my Of
hce-that will take just as many weeks
as the dollars that are put into Phil's
overcoat Is that satisfactory?
For a moment Frank hesitated. There
was to be no more fun Saturdays with
the boys. Uncle Allan was strict bus:-
ness man, and his and Franks agreement
would be regular business transaction.
But it was only for a moment. His face
lighted with joy as he exclaimed: II will
do it, Uncle Allan, and l will be just as
faithful in doing my work as if you did
not nav me in advance ~
A couple of hours later a package was
handed to Phils mother addressed to him.
1t was a new overcoat. A little paper
was pinned OH it with these words: For
Phil, whose father was a hero, and died
for his country. Frank
That was all. Phil and Frank were
the same size so the overcoat was per
feet fit. Frank goes with his Uncle Allan
every Saturday to work in his office, and
the experience and discipline he is get
ting are going to be worth as much to
him in the future as the kind deed which
he will always like to remember.
Uncle Allan says: ''There is no doubt
but Frank will stick to his bargain
Phil does not know. however, why Frank
goes to his uncle's Office now every Satur
day to work. But as he is working Sat.
urdays. too to help his mother. they dc
not miss each other in the games the
other boys have.-S. T. P. in New York
EVANGELIST