The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-08-11
Mrs. Barton S
Bonnet
By M. QUAD
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1913. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

England village.
In the days Of Mrs. Barton the WON
en- of the land, from high to low, wor,
bonnets.
, Mrs. Barton's bonnet, at the time
the important event happened, wai
seven years old. 1t had gone through
many trials and tribulations and hat
become almost wreck at last. The
good little woman must have new
one. and she sighed at the thought
Moses was man who hung on to his
pennies TO the last. The campaign
must be got under way, however, and
hoeing in the garden she trembingly
said:
Moses, l have been looking at my
old bonnet
why do you call it old?' he asked.
Because it's seven years old"
well, isn't my Sunday hat nigh IF
temp
But other women are getting new
bonnets," she mildly protested.
But you have got nothing to do
with other women's souls. IL they
had rather have new bonnets than go
them to say. You can have 2 shil-
! lings to buy some new ribbons to trim
with, but it must stop there for two
or three years longer"
That settled it There were tears,
but no mutiny.
place. Moses wouldn't give up the
price because he was stingy. If the
wife could get "a or SIS some other
way he would probably not object TO
her investing 1t in bonnet. Could
she wash and iron for a 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 q
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 seyen-year-old
bonnet. and 1t surely did in this case.
Mrs. Barton arrived at the marsh.
but hadn't picked berry yet when
she came upon q 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
a 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 reward, and he
asked his wife what could be done.
why, you can present Mrs. Barton
with a new bonnet" was the reply.
II happen to know that her present
one Is seven years old and that her |
husband thinks 1t ought to last seven |
more"
The merchant kept general store, |
which included even millinery, and the |
wife selected an eight dollar bonnet /
and carried IL 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 1t of" he growled after one
glance.
But II was a present TO me-"
Then give 1t right back"
The wife told him the story of the
\ l. - hat 7
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:
II shall keep the new bonnet-so
there!"
MARY"
81 shall--I SHALL shallP'
"You will take Ii back to Mr.. Brown
and tell him you had rather have So
In money"
II never Will"
"Then / will leave the houseH
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
I'd about her new bonnet and separat
ID. The wives naturally said:
why. the old curmudgeon. Did you
sver hear OF the like?"
And the husbands naturally said:
Barton has done perfectly right.
These seven and eight dollar bonnets
ire bringing ruin upon the country"
Before the sun went down that even
ne the villagers were divided into two
actions aud taking things very seri-
,usly.
The row was still on and hotter than
'ver when Mr. Barton fell into the
liver and was rescued in half drown
d condition. Among those who called
o see him after the water had been
jumped out was his pnrson.
"Parson. do YOU think I'm in the
asked the revived
Il surely do"
Where was ! wrong?"
I'm not spending the same amount of
money on new clothes for yourself to