The New Cloak by Oliver Optic

"There! I declare, if Mrs. Burton hasn't got a new cloak! " exclaimed Mrs. Waxwell to her intimate friend, Miss Viney, as they came out of church one Sunday.

"I see she has," replied Miss Viney, very quietly.

"I know her husband can't afford it; she will be the ruin of him yet."

"I suppose they know their own business best. At any rate, it is a blessing that you and I are not accountable for her misdeeds," said Miss Viney, who, though what is technically termed an "old maid," was not of that class who have been slanderously styled gossips and busybodies; and we have purposely introduced her to refute the foul calumny that "old maids" are all meddlers, and we are sure that all spinsters will be grateful to us for the service.

"I don't know about that," returned Mrs. Waxwell, with a dubious shake of the head. "Mr. Burton owes my husband three hundred dollars, and I don't believe he will ever get his pay if things go on in this way. That cloak couldn't have cost less than thirty dollars."

"I presume they could afford it, or they would not have bought it. At any rate, they ought to know best."

"Mrs. Burton is a vain, conceited, proud woman, and pride will have a fall one of these days."

"I hope not."

"I hope she will have a fall; she would drop some of those airs then."

"I never thought she was what might be termed a vain woman."

"She is; she is an impudent minx, and the sooner she is brought down to a level with her circumstances, the better for her and the world."

"She has the reputation of being a very kind-hearted person and an excellent neighbor."

"I don't care if she has; she likes to ‘lord' it through the village, and for one I won't be ruled by her."

"Really, I do not understand you; she is as amiable and humble as any one need be."

"Amiable and humble indeed! What did she buy that new cloak for except to excite the envy of half the town, and make them think she is somebody?"

"I hope there is no one so silly as to envy her; " and Miss Viney cast a significant glance full into the face of her companion.

"I don't, for one; but I should like to teach her that she is no better than the rest of the world."

"She don't profess to be; she visits the neighborhood; and I'm sure there is no better person in sickness than she is."

"All that may be."

"When you had the erysipelas, you remember she watched with you when no one else would."