Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1877-07-11
Concluded from first page.)

sold for snow-shoes, and then the stub.
are trimmed up and the mules are sen
south and sold Tor horses. In this
way great many fine horses were
purchased for the army by the United
States.
If were to have large picture Of
innocence, to hang up in my parlor
aud / did not wish to sit for 1t myself
should get a correct likeness OF q
mule. There is innocence enough de-
picted in a mules countenance to fit
out Sunday School class. 1t looks
as guileess as an angle worm.
A mule never grows old or dies.
Once brought into existence, he con
tinues on forever. The original mule
is now alive somewh ere in the South,
and is named Robert Toombs, because
he is so stubborn.
Mules are chiefly found in the South
and West. They have been more
abused than Judas Iscariot A boy
who would not throw a stone at mule
ii he got chance would be consider
ed by his parents as too mean to raise,
The mule is good worker, but he
cannot be depended on. He is liable
to strike, and when mule strikes hui
man calculation fails to find out any
rule by which to reckon when he will
90 to work again. 1t is useless to
pound him, for he will stand more
beating than sitting room carpet. He
has been known to stand eleven days
in one spot, apparently thinking of
something, and then start Oft again
as though nothing had happened.
Down South, when they have a sur
plus of small darkeys on the planta-
ton, they send them out into the barn
yard to play, where there is . loose
mule. They always bid them good.
bye when they start out, for they are
sure the parting will be final. This is
the most economical style of funeral
now in the market.
TO fully appreciate the mule, one
should listen to his voice. You never
can really know whether you like a
mule or not till you have heard him
sing. l attended a mule concert at
Fort Smelling, The programme open
ed with a soprano solo, and then
swung into duet, and then pranced
off into a trio, folio we'd by a quartette,
and ending with a full chorus by $50
mules. didn't hear the whole thing,
for when | came too, the reglmental
surgeon was standing over me, giving
NE powerful restoratives, and l heard
him say that | might possibly get out
again, though would never be a well
man again. l have been through the
New York Stock Exchange, and spent
part ola day in boiler factory, and
have been on one or two Sunday
School excursions for children, but
never knew what noise was till
heard lot of army mules bray.
One of the dead certainties about 6
mule is that he is sure footed, espec
tally with his hind feet. He never
misplaces them. If he advertises that
his feet will be at certain spot at
certain time, with a sample of mule
shoes, to which he would call your at
tention, you will always find then
there at the appointed time. He is a
reliable as the day of judgment, an(
he never cancels an engagement
Every man now living who drove
mule team during the war now draw
pension.
l never owned a mule. | cam
near buying one once. He was fine
looking animal his ears stood u
like the side spires on an Episoopa
Church. His tail was trimmed dow
so that it looked like a tar brush lear
ing up against him. He was stripe
off like the American flag, and RI
phal's cherubs never looked more al
gelic than did that mule. He locke
all innocence, though he was, III n
sense. The owner sat in the Wagon
with his chin resting on his hand an
his elbow resting on his knee. l
the other hand he held stick with
brad in the end of it. l examine
the mule and asked the man q fe'
questions, and out of mere form il
quired if the mule was kind, Or if b
kicked? "Kind? Kick 2 said th
man, and these were the last words h
ever uttered. He reached his site
over the front Of the wagon, and stuc
the brad into that mule 1t was av
full to see man snutfed out as quicl
ly as he was. 1t almost took ava
NV hrnoth hn wont ca eud1enlv