The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-11-15

cooked things in the fireplace that old
Joe never tasted before.
lit didn't take her and the young
engineer long to get acquainted, and
when the daughter suggested that she
ought TO have as nice a house as Mary
had, the young engineer put in his advice
and influence. and it wasn't long until
the new house was under way. The old
man said he had some ideas about the
house, and it was agreed that while Ella
and the engineer were TO select the gem
eral design, old Joe was to put in the
trimmings"
well, in the course of year and
half the grounds were laid out and the
house built It's a fine place-cost $50,
GOO or more. There is an arch over the
driveway at the entrance and carved in
the stone are the words, 'Mulus Manor,
| Old Joe's name for the place, which he
got from a dictionary The Keystone OF
the arch over the main doorway is Mary's
head, with the bride on, life size, The
| main stairway, rising from the hall, is
| flanked by two big rosewood posts, and
| ON top of each is Mary's head again.
| The frieze around the walls is Of the
| Egyptian order-a sort &c single tile pro.
| cession, YOU know, but thore is burning
coal pit about every two feet, and all the
men in kits and head dresses arc miners,
carrying picks, and all the war horses are
mules. And Mary's identity. If you
| please, is grated onto that house every
| where.
BY the time the house was finished
and furnished, the Young engineer had be-
| come old Joe's sou-iu-lt,r nluch To the oil
| al,
| was ready for the house warming. Ella
| and her engineer waved any right they
| had in the matter in Mary's favor, and
old Joe led her from the stable anG into
the house He called her attention to
the honor he had paid her in the entrance
in the staircase and on the walls, and the
old mule wagged her ears but never rails
ed her eyes in appreciation All this gran
deur didn't surprise her a bit 1t was
no finer than her stable Old Joe halted
| her in the main hall, put his arm around
her neck and said: This is what our mon
ey's done, Mary. You and me have
| built this for Ella and her man. They're
| welcomes to it, amt they? They amt
seen it yet, for by rights you and me
should see it first-you should, anyway.
Mary, for the most of it was your money
EMIT THE OLD PEOPLE.
Luxury and idleness were too much
| for the old folks Joe and Mary Break
| ing off from hard work after twenty-five
| years of it was more Of strain than
they could stand. and fl kin
| cd them. The mule went first.
She had had more rest aud luxury than
old Joe. He was kept pretty busy build
ing the stable and the house. but when
| II was all done and he had nothing to do
nc failed fast One morning when he
| went into the stable lie found Mary on
| the floor, her head down and unable to
get up. He was scared at once, and sent
down the road for veterinary surgeon.
The horseman came. examined the pa
tent and said: NO use; there's nothing
the matter with her, except the old ma
chine is run down. You might os well
kill her, Mr.. Butler"
Kiln her" Old Joe came near kicking
the doctor ont If the stable From that
time on be slept in the stall with her. but
1t was not for long One afternoon. when
| Ella and her husband came in 10 pay
their respects TO old Mary they found
the old man sitting on the floor. the mules
head on his knees and her eyes were
| closed. They stopped and the engineer
took off bis hat The old man did not
look up. His. face was drawn his eyes
were tight closed and there were tears
/ ON his cheeks. He stroked one Of the
| big gray ears with his hand SOFTLY. Ella
| put her face on her husbands shoulder,
| and they went away on tiptoe. leaving
! the old man with his dead
Old Joe buried the mules body in the
centre Of the front lawn directly in front
| Of the main entrance. 1t was a mighty
| big grave, for he wouldn't let the men
| bend her legs He buried her deep and
| sealed the grave with cement. For the
! next several months he found employ
ment experimenting the making Of her
| monument The base is of red granite.
| on which is life-size statue in white
marble Of mule in harness. with sin
, .sssllsessi1ee hanging over her hooks. On the
base are cut these words Mary; She
Was a Mule
Il was told that that statue cost the
old man $1,000, and / guess it's the
only work Of arr visible from this river,
from the mouth to the rapids
With the statue i'll place old Joe re-
| tired TO the cabin For that matter, he
never did live in the big house He
used to poke around some, and 30 down
to the mine, but everything was changed,
and he spent most Of his time in the
cabin. The country people around here
say the young people neglected him, but
they didn't They're not that sort I'll
gamble they did everything in the world
| for him. CAD! how vicious the human
animal is!
| The doctor who attended the old man
/ in his last sickness went back with me on
| the boat, and he told me how old Joe died.
He said he didn't have any regular dis
| ease, but he just died for want of life.
| You know an old man and woman who
have lived together for a lifetime can't
or don't long survive each other When
one of them goes there is a sort Of spir-
| itual tie broken that soon exhausts the
other. DO you know, / believe there was
| that same tie broken between old Joe and
| his mule, and that he died mainly be-