The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-09-10


LINES TO 4 MULE
Ialso want my boys to learn to love
the farm. So | got them to put into
crop small piece Of ground and agreed
to pay them high price for their vege-
tables. Being a busy man, have not
paid much attention to the process Of
their farming, but l have bought from
them $s5 worth OF truck which ! could
have gotten of the neighbors for $3.50,
and which my young agriculturists, !
am told, did buy at even less than that.
/ hate to see boys do that way to .
man who has always been regarded as .
first class parent in every way.
Ny farm animals consist. among other
things, of rather coarse but well mean
ing COW, which we bought here. She
was born at the south, and some Of the
best blood of this country flows In her
veins Ideality is small, but her alimen-
tiveness and inhabitiveness are large.
She has vivacious way with her that
wins every one, but she still retains q
feeling of intense hatred toward the peo-
pie Of the north. Though l had nothing
to do with the war, and did not favor it
at the time, this COW holds me respon-
sible to degree for the results Of the
war, and l have never been able to get
en- rapport with her.
It is the same with q little mouse col
pred ass, or burro, which bought for
use on the farm and for ornamental rid
ing over the highly infiamed roads Of
North Carolina. His name is Juanita-
pronounced Whaneeta. Whaneeta, in
the language Of Patrick Henry, lis dead
sore on the war;" and regards me as
having brought it on, whereas did not
do so, but, on the contrary, did all ]
could honorably to svade it. wrote to
. paper in 1860, being at that time at
Winnipeg, that unless the war was pre-
vented in some way ! would stay where
| was for long time.
But Juanita gets mad about the war
and broods over it, and mourns and
mourns and mourns. Juanita is also
childless, and that makes him feel the
war worse, think, than he otherwise
would.
Juanita was owned by q neighbor Of
ours here named Nettles. Mr.. Nettles
did not seem to want to part With iva
nita, but did finally, and Last week when
offered to let him have the little pet b
said, mo; the wound is healed over
now. Do not tear it open afresh by COM
pslling me to 60 all through it again. J
have learned to live without Juanita
now. Do not jar my newly healed heart
strings any more. Take him away or !
viii set the dog on you" So took
Juanita home again.
When we first let the children ride o.
him he did not seem to brood SO much
over the war, but we noticed that the
children felt uneasy about something,
and pretty soon | discovered that little
souvenirs Of the late war were to be
found in great numbers all over him. So
had to disinfect him and renovate him
before we could use him. But he regards
himself yet as my superior, ! can sec
that. Though poor and measly, with
large bald places on his person where he
has rubbed himself against an upright
farm while trying to forget the past and
get rid Of the results OF the war, can
see that he regards himself - unfortu-
nate, but refined.
Juanita regards me - > low, coarse
Yankee, whose oats are reluctantly taken
in exchange for his refined social indH-
ence. He does not have much fun, and
ever and anon he bursts forth into . wall
that shows lsDw keenly he suffers. He il
the worst sample of motheaten respect
ability and unlaundried h1uteur that ]
aver saw. He has the pride OF Lucifez
ard the personal habits Of DviAS. HH n
uost unfortunately made up Of strasG6
contradictions and unhappy warning ele-
merits which gu his breast with . wild
tumult.
| once wrote some lines TO pet mule
Of mine, among which occur the follow
ing, which ] have addressed to Jnanits
during the rSet week. There is q vein
Of melancholy raaA;ng through the work
which some of my friends at the Authors
club say reminds them Of Dante. 1t Y
In blank verse, which seems to be the
only literary method for successfully
treating the mule. The words and music
2rn as follows:
Oh, lovely, gentle, unobtrusive mule,
Thou standest idly 'gainst the azure sky
And sweetly sadly singest like . hired
man.
Who taught thee thus to MARBLE
In the noontide heat and wrestle with
- T.,
Who taught thy simple heart