The daily morning Alaskan., 1903-01-14
THE PROVIDENTIAL MULE

eyes twinkling
 The children by common consent turned their faces toward the open kitchen window. through which a doc ile looking mule had poked his head, watching the breakfast table expect. antly.
 Its c stray" her brother Jonas an- swered ElOomily. "and b'longs to some Of the neighbOrA Wen have to feed him several days and be out that much
 "weli, be don't b'iong to any of 'sm," " Aunt Rachel disputed emphatieally. Don't we know the stock for miles aroundi There's Smiths blaze face mare. Davis speckled oK and old man Potts govcr'ment mule. besides Nor ris' colt'-
 Well. you just walt tn you see in the county paper in the Stray no- tiees; 'LOst-Medium siEed dark bay muleS with black ears and mane and a brnnd oo his left side -
 ''rbereT' his sister interrupted trl- umphantly. "Who's brand Ia itT'
 This being a flash of almost mascu- line Sagacity. her brother wAs silenced for the time.
 If the mule was not a clear favor Of Providence, at least he seemed such to this humble family. It was just at cotton planting time that their only ox died that standby of the poor farmer of the south-gentle, patient. long en- during, poorly fed and tended, yet re- luctantly laying down the yoke worn 90 long This was very serious mat ter Co them. for on their cotton crop depended their likelihood.
 Tn the darkest hour. which Is said Co precede dawn, the mule had come. Aunt Rachel saw hlm for the first time at the kitchen window. blandly looking in. and. as the yard gate was shut and tho palings were high, it seemed to her simple soul that he had been dropped from tho clouds.
 Aunt Rachel and the children stood around while the mule was being put Into the shabby harness. He seemed to take it all as a joke, and he started on toward the Aeld at a gay, mlnclng gait that kept the farmer saving at the lines, and when he reached the end of the hrst row he shook on the frail bar ness and vaulted neatly over the fence. Then, with a wise grin at the farmer, be knelt down slowly, rested hls head on the ground and turned a complete somersault
 Suddenly the mule vaulted back into the field and. rising later on hls hind feet, advanced on the farmer. and when be defensivcly rulsed hls whip with a bright look of relief the mule rctreatcd. stll upright. and began cir cling around in excellent waltz time. He seemed to become excited with the motion and indulged In polkas and two steps of all kinds and wound up with a spirited gallop twice around the ield, then came canterlng up to the dumfounded farmer and looked trust lngly Into his face. But finding he was only wanted as a blowing imple- ment, he turned about and loped to the house. Arriving at the closed gate, be stretched his neck and, nOsing up the latch, sauntered in. So when Aunt Rachel. washing dishes. looked up she saw the providential mule smirking amisably at the window.
 Though her brother Jonas had com plstely soured on him that first day. with Q woman's persistence Aunt Ra' chel still looked on the mule as a gift. On succOoding days matters were no better. The mule did everything I'm aglnable that was useless and very It. tic that was useful The children, with the pathetic lnconseQuence of childhood, were delighted at his tricks, He was a constant source of amuse- ment to the poor little chaps Living as they always hnd lived in a small, dull neighbOrhood. never having seen Q circus and deprived by poverty of the usual childish playthlngs, they soon learned to love the good natured, elev- CT animal Even Baby Joe toddled fearlessly at bis heels. though the mule bad nearly frightened him out of hls senses the frst day by picking him up by hls dress and seating him on his broad back. But this was now under stood to be a mark of special favor. limited only to the baby. and with the little fellow on his back the mule would trot around the yard while Joe shrieked with delight
 Their father. with the rancor of pow srty. endured impatiently the added expense. Certainly the mule, consid' cred materially. was no profit. He wOuid not work. This had been proved beyond a doubt He favorite trick whon harnessed to the blow was to pick the harness to pieces at the knots, then shake it on playfully, looking around for the approval which never came.
 He was eating up the fodder provid- cd for bis predecessor. the OK. and there would be no cotton crop for want of proper attention The mule had been a week with the family when tho county paper came. The farmer looked eagerly for the stray" notices, but