Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1909-08-27
The Old Silk Hat and What 1t Told.


1t WAS after supper and was reel n
ing III my easy chair with my slippercd
ieet propped on low stool and a news
paper care!cSsly thrown hv NV side.
Surrounded by thin mist Of blue
smoke. was i'll that dreamy bordcrland
which hes between sleep and waking.
While thus, my gaze fell upon the pol
ished surface Of the old silk hat which
held the place of honor above the man.
tepece-one OF those ancient, hirh-
crowned, narrow-brimmcda affairs such aS
were worn many years ago.
"Oid hat" said |, tell me sompthjny
OF Your history, for am sure that il
must be interesting.'
"Weli,' said the hat, eff You desire
to hear the history Of an old fellow like
me- Will try to tell YOU at least part
of it:
hrSt came into your family through
the agency "f your greai-yrandiathrr.
who was a yonng doctor OF Il is town
(Which Was then 4 small village. Alter
few years hard work, his practice be.
ln= good, your great-grandfathor decid-
eel to take a holiday in the city. While
there lie noticed that it was the custom
OF professional men to wear silk hats.
and accordingly l was purchased.
The neXtSunday. Mh en- the doctor
had returned, he wore his new hat TO
church. Being the first OF my kind seen
III the village, the admiration was natu-
rally great, and the craning OF rustic
necks was remarkable. Tue doctor that
DAY came very near having to replace
many Jawbone in its socket.
In the church that Sunday was a
very pretty young lady with whom the
doctor was slightly acquainted, but to
whom he was very strongly attracted.
She lived some distance from the
church, and had come that dav on
horseback.
Alter service, as the doctor was return
ing, he noticed the young lady slowly
riding before him, evidently deep in
thought. On the side of the road Law a
large piece of paper. Suddenly bv a
gust OF wind the paper was blown d.
rectly before the horse, which, taking a
quick jump, threw his fair rider. The
doctor ran quickly to the place where
she lay, and saw that her forehead had
been gashed and she stunned by the
shock. He at once perceived that the
necessary thing was water, but how to
fetch 1t was apuzzle. Grabbing his new
SILK hat, he hurried to a neighborinp
brook, filled the hat with water. speedilv
returned, and with its assistance soon
brought the girl to consciousness.
This adventure detracted somewhat
from my former beauty, but, as l was of
good stuff, ] was not much injured, and
alter thorough cleaning and brushing
was In good condition for the wedding.
But this was not my only adventure. /
nave been in some way or other bene-
factor to every generation of your fam
liy' and | hope some day to benefit
you"
Just as the hat said this it fell from
above, hit the mantel and bounced
against my face. l awoke and found
the room full OF smoke, for, as l soon
saw, the paper and the carpet near nv
CHAIR We're burning. Iquickly extin.
sulshed the fire, but had not awak-
ened when did, it would have spread
and occasioned great loss. Thus the old
and honored hat was again OF great ser.
vice.
The cause of the fire is easily ex-
planned. When had gone to sleep the
lighted cigar fell from my fingers and ig-
nited the paper and carpet. 1t was a
windy night and the hat hung loosely
oil Its peg; for when the house was
shaken by an extra strong gust of wind
The hat was easily knocked down, and
falling against my face, it awoke me.
The part. however, that battles ali OK.
planatlon is the coincidence of the
dream and the falling of the hat. The
dream itself was strange, for. as nv
father afterwards told me, the story re-
lated by the hat was true, and for a long
time l racked my brain to find a salts
factory explanation. One day, however,
as | was thinking of it, suddenly re-
membered that when was bov | had
asked my father for story and he had
told me about my great-grandiather's
old silk hat.