Naked Animals

Back around 1950, one of our Harper citizens ended up in the state insane asylum. It all come about 'cause of good intentions gone bad. Mildred Sterrups were a goodly person what were always trying to follow all the stuff she learned in church and in the teaching of her mamma, what were also a goodly person. She done good giving to the poor, showing up for all the church activities, and, as far as we all know, living a pure and humble life. Where she went wrong were when she got it in her head that all the animals was standing around naked. She mentioned it one day in Sunday School about how there were no shame among all the farmers and also all the peoples with dogs and cats what they let run around in the nude. She stated that she had made little dresses for her three cats and thought all others should do the same. She claimed that she would be happy to sew up clothes, made to fit, for only a minimal fee. Peoples thought this were a little strange, but no stranger than a lot of other things peoples come up with during the emotions of a Sunday School class. Where Mildred went wrong were when she were passing Cletus Fincherhouse's farm and seen this little goat of his standing by the fence naked as a jay bird. So she dressed it. I mean really dressed it, underwear and all. That warn't too bad, but it were her own clothes she used. She were picked up by a sheriff's deputy while she were walking home. She promised she were on her way home to redress, but the deputy provided her with one of them little jail dresses and gave her a cell where she stayed until the judge sent her off. Peoples as a sign of goodwill sent her little pictures of animals all dressed up. They did this until she passed on in 1955.