The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1888-12-22
RAGGED "REMINISCENCES.
uow'oid Penny Caused Nc Nights Of
A'=J Jfatt- Trouble. .Er#F..

loW'OlO YcMny Caused Nc Nights OF
H.+l Jiat3. Trouble. ..rs.
O.d Penny!
awakened by the sound of that name.
My Uncle JOHN was one Of the best
men I ever knew. He had hardsheu
Baptist procitvltte', was MS honest as
the day, and a tam-up mau In every
sense u the word. 'a f3 1i'ie7 -
But IN good old dsys he Possessed
the singular regularity OF owning
things that were small. He had the
smallest AK ever saw, his hogs were
guinea, he grew little cob corn and he
owned Penny. e't
Away back, before the woods were
burned, that little old snealy-iaced
| mule was foslsd. Her mother was a
jenny and her tather-,well, he was
some sort Of nondescript quardruped,
aud Penny was no bigger than a pound
OF soap after a hard uAy's swashiuK.
Uucte john had y little tWo-wheeled1
cart just the sizs for Penny, aud when
.e h'tched up aud mounted Penny, the]
| man and the mule and the cart look ed
! like they were made for each other. =
On a few acres of poor, pimply pine
land that good old farmer with that
little old mule made good honest Iiv.
ing and reared large family of chill.
drep, aud the days Of his life passed as
quietly and as calmly as II the great
busy world were as far removed from
him AS the twinkiing stars Of the mid.
night sky from the drifting clouds OF
autumu. - s. l'. sl.' ea
One time they had wedding at an
other uncie's house, aud this event was
to be, very largely attended. Mother
put on my little velvet coat aud my
new c0pperas and checked breaches,
with the galuses, and my copper-iOed
shoes and my cap that Uncls Jimmy
gave me and we started to the wed.
ding. "
She rode old John and rode behind.
The way was long and lonely and my
short legs got awful tired as we logged
along the lonely road among the whis-
peripg pines.
Pas, the cypress ponds and across
the Big Branch with its wine colored
waters flowing over the sunny sands
and on into the big road we Travelled.
Was not up in wedding matters,
aud philosophical and specuiated
good deal. & '".' 4
Old John pushed along with his ears
Hopping and his eyes half closed, and
nobody would have dreamed that the
old scoundrel cultivated single evil
thought.
AS we came to Il short turn in the
road with thicket just ahead, sud.
denly old John fetched a wild snort
aud wheeling around he kicked up his
heels and away he went, leaving
mother among the gall berry bushes
by the roadside and / unfortunate fel-
low, landed square on my nose, strik-
ing the hardest place in that hard road,
aud the world became illuminated by
mere Stars than Calico ever dreamed
Of ia his widest imaginings.
And The cause Of all the trouble was
soon apparent. There just in front OF
us, stood. old Penny with Uncle John
astraddle of her, and the little cid rip
was so ALFRED ugly that she scared old
John out Of his senses.
Uncle John was by our side in
twiukiing, and mother was laughing
while wept ard wiped my crushed
| aud bleeding nose. / think Penny
| actually smiled as she eyed old John,
who was standing all atremble with
fright, the old villain being too lazy to
run far. i....
Uncle John caught him for US, aud
sat US up again, but the wedding and
all its prospective pleasures had no
charms tor me with my nose in sling,
! and all because of old Penny. John
evidently thought she was the ghost OF
some departed mule, for he would not
pass her ard Uncle John had 10 lead
her out in the woods till We got past,
Long aMerward-after the war closed
and my good old uncle came home to
resume the quiet aud even tenor OF his
unevcntful life--he found that Penny
! was growing stiff in he joints aud his
farm work required younger and
| stronger animal.
| But his hearts best affections were
ceulered on the little Old brfndIed
mule that had grown gray in his SER
| vice. He purchased young mare and
broke her to the plow and the cart, but
she had frisky ways that did not sci
well with the quiet old man who was
himself growing aged and worn with
toll. ..... r.
He kept Penny although ii was fre-
quentty suggested that he swap her.
Finally the little old mule gave out,
and oae morning when the old farmer
went out to feed The stock Penny was
unable TO get up.
Broadside she lay under the shed
with her dimmiDg eyes turned pathet.