The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-03-10


Mrs. Il. TO finish her toilet and accom-
pany him to the house Of worship. lie
was calm, respectable. and smile OF
self-complacency frightened his fea-
lures a. he glanced al himself IN a mir
ror. and removed a thread from his
coat sleeve.
Mrs. b. was In the act 81 descending
the stairs, when perfect yolley Of barks
from Towser broke the Sabbath quiet,
and drew Mr. Boblink 10 the window.
One glance and he stood petriiied.
Some tramp had left the gate open. and
there, in the center Of his ornamental
grass plot, gigantic mule was tearing
the winter covering Of straw from his
pet plants, and rapidly demolishing
fragile fancy arbor by scratching his
shoulder against it, while Iowser cir
cled about him. like fly around SUI
gar-bowl, barking as if he would bark
himself inside out.
Mr.. Boblink was man who thought
and acted quick. Another glance. and,
seizing his best silk hat and gold-head-
ed cane, he strobe forth to expel the
intruder
The enemy had once been Of soapy-
yellow color, judging from what little
hair remained but age, clucs, expos
ure. cart-rungs, starvation, brick-5ais,
and boys, had nearly removed All traces
OF his hue. 4 row Of bristlX tufts. Ike
column of discarded black-brsshes.
was all lac had To show for a name: his
tail was "A sort of compromise OF ma
lures between a stuffed club raveled
ont on the end and an overgrown Ger
man sausage; the scalp lock Of hair
that graced its tip had apparently Gre
ared a corner in the burr and thistle
market: his ribs stood out like rungs in
aasadder. and made you feel like betting
the money you had savcdup forthe con-
version OF the heather that he hadn't
fed on any thing more nutritious than
cinders. clam-Shells and clubbings since
he was a babe: he might have been
anywhere from twenty to TWO thou
sand years old, and served u both the
4 Revolutionary war and the Rebellion,
Judging from his sears. His ankles and
feet alone had survived the touch Of
time and the general wreck IF matter,
and still proudly proclaimed his aristo-
cratic and blue-blooded lineage; the
former were a. trim and taper as a
Murray Hill bellies, and his feet a.
small a. those II a Chinese woman.
Still. 10 look al his bland and innocent
countenance, a he stood this bright
Sabbath morning in Mr.. BOhlink's gar
den, with his eyes partially closed, and
his enormous ears slanting forward,
like twin fur-lined coal-scuiile-. or
canoes stood onend, he was the picture
Of Injured innocence, and looked as If
he had been up all night praying for the
forgiveness Of the naughty boys who
tied a kettle 10 hi> tail, or the hard
hearted men who drove and dubbed
him.
Mr.. Boblink's wrath died out AT the
sight Of this mules meek and Cristian-
ike department: his heart now went
forth to the poor. abused wanderer. and
he approached him gently 10 lead him
forth, and stroked his neck tenderly.
"Whoal nice old fellow-come
along" he soliloquized .. Mans inhu-
manity to mules makes oh lordy
darnation. lei gol Gu. GU, on. muir
der.n
Mr.. Boblink struggled, squirmed. and
tried To detach his shoulderfrom { be
mules teeth. When he did succeed in
getting il free, the mule kept a squar,
foot Of the cloth and a piece of the
flesh to remember him.
Church-going people passing along
Z the road about this time would have
seen Mr.. Boolink spinning around OF
! one leg. like humming-top. anC
swearing as if he had hornets nest il
, his pants pocket Towser, resting OF
: his tail. bottled his barks in astonish
ment, while the mule regarded the pai
? alphabetically, As if a madT-,an, more o
} less, was a subject Of sublime indiiier
ence to him.
When MIR Boblink got Down iron
4 dancing on his new silk hat, rage AM
pain had full possession of HIM lol
couldn't lay pin point on part Of hi
person that wasn't riled; he was ma
! All through-under, over. and roun,
Z about him. The angels of peace, 'pity
and tenderness. had just TO stand back
! clear a space of forty feet. give him
clear swing. and watch him sail in. III
had been cruelty deceived, and the bloc
| of the Boblinks was up. lie made fl
4 rocious charge on the invader, carvin.
" the air with his cane. but his muleshi
! appeared again to have gone 10 sleep
4 aud paid no more attention TO the can
! than il il had been "A straw.
4 Mr.. Boblink had just turned aroun
n to find some heavier weapon. when hi
n wife, watching from the window, b,
h held the mule suddenly and spasmo,
h ically straighten out his left hind-leg
A MIR. B's direction. and that worthy b.
Il very mad gentleman was observed I
e fly through the air as If he had bee
i shot out of cannon, turn a somersau
!. over the dog, tryto pillow furrow wit
. his nose and vest buttons, and final
:. subside into very much enraged an
|, bruised bean Of solid AMI torn hrna.