The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1913-12-26
Mrs. Barton S
Bonnet
By Nj. QUAD
Copyright. 1913 by Associated Lit
erary Press
By M. QUAD

| One day, years and years ago. an I'M
pOrtant event took place in the life of
| Mrs. Moses Barton, residing in New
England village.
| In the days of Mrs Barton the WON
en- of the land, from high to low, wore
| bonnets.
Mrs Barton's bonnet. at the time
the important event happened. was
seven years old. 1t had gone through
many trials and tribulations and had
| become almost wreck at last The
| good little woman must have a new
| one, and she sighed at the thought
| Moses was a man who hung on to his
pennies to the last The campaign
must be got under way, however, and
when he came in to rest his back from
hoeing in the garden she trembingly
said:
Moses, l have been looking at my
old bonnet
Why do you call it od?' he asked.
Because it's seven years old"
well, isn't my Sunday hat nigh ff-
teenw
But other women are getting new
bonnets," she mildly protested.
But you have got nothing to do
with other women's souls. If they
had rather have new bonnets than go
to heaven when they die. that's for
them to say. You can have 2 shil-
lings to buy some new ribbons to trim
= ,tn fyun
or three years longer.
That settled it There were tears.
but no mutiny.
Next day the important event took
place. Moses wouldn't give up the
price because he was stingy If the
wife could get 81 or IS some other
way he would probably not object to
her investing it in a bonnet. Could
she wash and iron for neighbor?
Could she make new rag carpet for
some of them? She was scheming
away when the matter was settled for
her. Moses was going away for
week to visit relative. and she would
go to the big huckleberry marsh and
pick and sell berries.
Providence ought to feel very tender
toward a woman with seven-year-Old
bonnet. and it surely did in this case.
Mrs Barton arrived at the marsh.
but hadn't picked berry yet when
she came upon horse begged in the
swamp. 1t belonged to village mer-
chant and was fine and valuable ami
NAL The thing to do was to throw
away the pail and make tracks and
notify the owner of the helpless horse.
That's just what Mrs. Barton did. and
lot of men went to the swamp and
pulled the animal out
or course the owner was very CRATE
full. He knew that a neighbor would
not take money as a reward. and he
asked his wife what could be done.
why. you can present Mrs. Barton
with a new bonnet" was the reply
81 happen to know that her present
husband thinks it ought to last seven
more"
The merchant kept a general store.
which included even millinery, and the
wife selected an eight dollar bonnet
and carried it over. There were thanks
and tears in return. Mrs Barton could
hardly contain herself until her hus-
band reached home. She had the bon
net on when he entered the house.
Take it OFF, he growled after one
glance
But 1t was a present to me-"
''Then give 1t right back!'
The wife told him the story of the
begged horse but he insisted that an
eight dollar bonnet was an invention
Of Satan and could not be allowed In
the house Then something almost
miraculous happened. The little and
humble Mrs. Barton stood right up
before her husband and said:
Il shall keep the new bonnet-so
there!''
Mary
II SHALL SHALL shall!'
"You will take it back to Mr.. Brown
and tell him you had rather have So
In money"
II never will!'
Then | will leave the housew
Despite the threat she refused to
obey. and he went. to the house of
sister to pass the night. That sister
| didn't have an eight dollar bonnet.
and she didn't want her sister-in-law
Growing over her, and so she naturally
braced the husband up to carry his
| point.
Almost before breakfast next morn
ing it was known all over the village
that Mr.. and Mrs. Barton had quarrel
ed about her new bonnet and separat-
ed The wives naturally said:
why. the old curmudgeon! Did you
ever hear Of the like?"
And the husbands naturally said:
Barton has done perfectly right
These seven and eight dollar bonnets
are bringing ruin upon the country
Before the sun went down that even
| ing the villagers were divided into two