The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-10-11
His Old Clothes
Problem

Tho problem Of wearing out old
clothes bothers some people; others
Il does not
Some solve the problem by selling
their old clothes to the old clothes
man, some solve Il by giving their
old clothes Ia deserving charity. and
some solve % by having their old
clothes cut down and made over for
the rising generation
nut there Is yet another class who
neither sell nor give away their old
clothes. and not being blessed with
children, they undertake to wear out
their old clothes themselves, thereby
getting the greatest possible re.
turn value for their money. Il Is OF
n representative OF this class | would
speak.
lie Is friend OF mine met
him the other day IN Sumner street.
he seemed TO be wearing a new suit.
/ Now. when one meets personal
friend who is wearing II new suit. Il
is as little as one can do 20 say: "Ah.
see you have on new suit! It's
all right. and Il FITS you like a glove"
or some such pleasant compliment as
that The which ! said. OF words TO
the same effect.
mo. not exactly a new suit" he
said: the coat and vest are new. but
the trousers got last fall. began
buying this suit have on II years
ago." he continued. looking down at
his trousers. sadly. then noted that
what he said about tho newness OF
the coat and vest and the oldness OF
the trousers was true. Leading me
into convenient doorway. he ex-
planned:
Before | was married / used 10
get my clothes made 10 order" he
said. with an air OF faded gravity.
but afterward began wearing hand.
me-down clothes. The first store
suit purchased IL years ago this
spring BY the following autumn the
trousers, which always go first. we're
shabby. but the coat and vest were
yet In a fairly respectable condition.
told my wife | would be obliged
10 get another new suit She has a
rare economical streak. my wife,
which ! have noticed manifests IL
self in my own behalf more than
when she is buying clothes for her.
self. She pointed out that to buy an
entire new suit would be rank ex.
travagance. She said II she were
she would buy only new pair OF
trousers to go with the coat and vest.
which were not much worn. The sug-
gestion appealed to me. so | bought a
new pair of trousers. matching them
up as well as | could with my old
coat and vest.
The following spring found me
with my trousers in better condition
than my coat and vest, and TO piece
matters out. then purchased a new
ccat and vest. and continued wearing
my old trousers The next purchase.
a few months later, was a new pair
of trousers to go with the coat and
vest. which were not yet much worn.
To make a long story short, ! have
been doing this for II years-getting
at one time a new pair Of trousers
and at another time new coat and
vest. but never buying both together.
The result has not been very salts.
factory have never felt dressed.
only feel about half-dressed. have
the consolation that | am wearing out
my old clothes, but it doesn't compen-
safe me for the sacrifice ! have to
make in personal appearance. But"
he added, his face lighting up. there
will be an end to this some day.
have figured 1t all out. To explain,
! will say that my experience, dating
over the last IA years, has shown me
that a coat and a vest do not quite
outlast two pairs of rousers-almost,
but not quite. In other words, be-
tween the durability of two pairs of
trousers and coat and vest, there is
a discrepancy of 10 days, IA hours,
80 minutes and seconds
Now. basing my calculations on
these figures, ! find that on the 23d
day of May, 1926, my coat and vest
and my trousers viii both be worn out
at the same hour and minute; then |
can buy new suit out and out and
start again in life clothed like gen
tleman."
But" / demonstrated, what will
you do in the autumn of 1926 when
you find your trousers going and your
coat and vest in too good condition to
throw away?"
81 tell you. what I'll do" he Kissed.
with a note Of reckless abandon in
his voice; "I'll chuck the whole suit
and buy a new one, regardless of
what my wife says. I'll never go
through this piecing out, continuous
performance business again.
Then we shook hands and parted.
There is a man who has something to
live for.-Boston Post.