Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-11-19

seWell, this will be the death of me, and then Helen can have another laugh" ''Kah-ahln
 s'Tom; oh, Tom! let's go back, :" said l. ''Kah-ahl"
 "Ohl we cannot stand it any longer" cried both of us
 "Kah-ah"
 Sallie said: Look at those people in the carriage laughing. I am mortified to death." "Tom, we are going to return"
 ''Oh, mol" said Helen, trying to assume a sympathetic expression. 'I am sure his lungs will give out soon, and he'll be forced to stop"
 "Kah-ahi"
 "Oh, Helen," replied Sallie, rather sarcas- tically, "he'll answer you, too"
 We drew near the village. Our mule had made no sound for minute or two.
 ''Tom is right" said Sallie, cheerfully, wip- ing her eyes and trying to look bright; ''he is going to behave now"
 But, oh, horrorsi as we reached the main part of the village, "Kah-ah!" came out louder than ever before.
 Some men on the porch nudged each other, and one little boy called out "Kentucky Piano" Then, more 'Kah-ahs!" in rapid succession, and the men from the stores and
  who twas withdrew suddenly, as if ashamed of themselves, or of us.
 Now, we had passed the place that Tom prophesied would be quietus to our untir- ing singing bird," and I proposed going back again.
 "Oh, nor' Sallie said; "I can never go through the town again."
 Helen suggested that we should exchange buggies. She was sure we did not whip him enough; but with Tom to "jerk him." and her to whip him, they would get along fa- mously.
 We gladly-oh! so gladly-accepted her offer The buggies we drawn up side by side as we were talking, and I verify thought the mule must have suspected something, for the pony was near him, and he kept looking very knowing and did not bray once.
 Just as we were making our arrangements to exchange buggies, a negro man emerged from turn of the road, and inquired with interest if anything had happened. Re proved to be Toms acquaintance, and the man from whom he had hired the pony and our much despised mule.
 'What's de matter, sah?' he asked.
 'Matter enough. Your long cared mule has prayed every step of the way, and nearly driven us crazy"
 Wasn't de pony behin', marster2'
 'Yes"
 "Dats de trouble. You shorely didn't try to dribe wid ole Jolly in de foremost? Why, he's de mos misurbul critter you ever see if de pony git out ob his sight. Twas dis way de pony was leetle an young when we fust got him, and Jolly he seemed to think it his juty to puttect him, and he always kep' an eye on him eber since, an when de pony got big enough to wuck he had to be in front or l s-xl,& you shouldn't neber tried to dribe wid de pony behin. Why, when we hauls dc hay We has to hitch de pony to de cutter an Jolly to de binder"
 | And this was the solution. Jolly's bray. ings were the lamentations of affection.
 The humor and sympathy of the others were both excited. They were intensely in. l terested while listening to the negr<o's story ! of the mules attachment. Who could utter a syllable of reproach after this? How much interest they felt in the kind, loving mule capable of being so unhappy when his pro 1 tege was out of sight.
 Sallie sighed with regret that she cherished such harsh feelings and had laid the whip SC unmerclfully upon his back. Even Heller avowed that she would nevermore see mule without 0 sentiment of respect for such con stancy.
 
 keenly the responsibility for the days pleas ure on the girls account, and it had beer considerably marred already. Visions stil tloated before my eyes of the faces seen iron the store galleries; Sallie's speech, :'Oh, am mortified to deathr still rang In my ears mingled with the deafening sounds from oul mule. My sense of self respect and vanity was too deeply wounded to recover soon. took small share in the caresses given anc apologies expressed to our pony's ''puttecter, for my pride, of such long standing, was no to be suddenly uprooted by a short and pa thetic mule story.
 It was with difficulty that I kept back m, tears; could think of no comfort. Ever mother, who was always my refuge in tim of trouble, could not, felt sure, appreciate the situation. knew that the finale, as ex plained by the old negro, would appeal t. her sympathies; so did not allude to it, bu let Tom give the particulars.
 Endowed by nature with disposition lik mine, it was hard to recover from the morti fcation; but the rest of the family, wh thought more lightly of it all than did, ha, discernment enough to understand my feel ings, and always forbore to make any allu sion to our picnic excursion,-"C, M." Il New Orleans mes-Democrat.