frame. They have all
grades of materials for
umbrellas, poor and rich,
homely and elegant. It
makes me think of the
time when I saw you,
Rick, at Concord. You
were big enough to run
about the garden and
see things for yourself.
You came into the house
laughing, and wanted
us to go out and see
‘toadee under umbel.’
We went out, and sure
enough, there was a
toad under his umbrel-
la.

“‘ Among our English
ancestors,’ continued
Uncle Nat, “the um-
brella was little known
down as far as the
opening of the seven-
teenth century. In that
century it was used as

 

CANTON. fine 379

LORD OF THE TWENTY-FOUR UMBRELLAS,

a sun-shade. When Queen Anne was on the throne, ladies used the

umbrella as a protection against the rain, but only ladies, though.

The first man who spread an umbrella in the streets of London, was

Jonas Hanway, the philanthropist. He was a sickly man, and an um-