His Coat


The first proud owner of the new coat paid a thousand dollars for
it only a few days before the stock market crashed in 1929
It was a rare and beautiful coat made of Cashmere
the most expensive fur from leopard's hair
After wearing the coat three times it was put away
fearing that he might be robbed and harmed
Much of his own fortune evaporated the day of the crash
Deciding to not wear it was one of many bazaar acts
which took place that dreadful and costly October
It would have remained in storage longer if not for
the question by his housekeeper asking if he had
some old clothes for the poor that she could
take to her church for those who were cold and needy
He bounded upstairs and began looking through
his well-stocked closet finding several suits coats
and jackets to add to a generous pile of warm clothes
Seeing his new coat there he asked his employee if
she would take it also and suggested that
the church group offer it for sale and use the money to
buy other needed clothing
She readily agreed to his generosity and went to
the basement for boxes to hold his gifts to the church
Quietly he pondered the opportunity to help people who had
nothing he decided to add a bit of cash by putting
a one hundred dollar bill in each of the three pockets of
his new coat trusting each person who might
check the coat's silk-lined pockets and was confident that
the church ladies would check each pocket as was teir nature
and the way his late wife always did



F William Broome 2010