The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-11-17
A MANS
HUMANITY
By N. QUAD
Copyright. 1911. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

came across an old mule lying down
In the street. Not an inhabltant Of
the place owned a mule. Not a mule
had even passed through the town in
years. The appearance Of one was a
novelty. II was therefore easy for the
deacon to reason that this mule had
come from distance. As the animal
was almost skin and bones It was easy
again to reason that he had been turn
ed out 10 die.
Other men had noticed the old mule
that morning and had passed on and
left him to his fate. Deacon Bradley
was not that kind OF human. He had
been known TO gather hundred POI
tato bugs from the vines in his gar
den and tenderly carry them to the
fence and drop them over. He had
sat up night after night with sick
cows, and be had taken in lame dogs
and made them well again. His first
move after coming across the mule
was to bring the animal water and
oats. He was rewarded by a grateful
bray.
The mule drank twelve quarts Of
water and ate four quarts OF oats
and entered upon a new life. He was
puzzled and mystified, but he wasn't
kicking about a good thing. He had
expected to die right where he drop
ped and had set his house in order
as well as he could, but IL Deacon
BRADLEY wanted him TO live on he
would do so. When he had been filed
with water and oats he got up and in
his dumb way asked what next. For
answer he was led to the deacon's
barn, a quarter Of a mile away, and
then he made sure that be had found
a man that would see him through
his troubles. "
Deacon Bradley was the subject Of
much 'joshing," but he took it calmly.
His conscience told him he had done
the correct thing, and not gibe
reached It's target He got his reward
in seeing that mule fill up and take on
flesh and begin TO frisk about as In his
younger days. For two weeks the ami
NAL was silent He hadn't quite lost
his voice, but he was giving II a rest
until be could decide whether the good
thing was to last or not. One night he
reviewed all that had been done thus
far, made up his mind that his job was
secure, and next morning when the
deacon opened the barn door he was
crested with a bray OF welcome. II
was sound that made the man Jump
back In alright. 1t was note from
foghorn mingled with the scream Of a
terrified woman. 1t quivered and qua
vered and rumbled and died away.
For two minutes the deacon looked to
see the mule drop dead, and then he
understood Richard was getting to
be himself again. He was feeling hts
oats and hay. He was coming to think
that life was worth the living. Ii was
a bray of welcome, but the deacon
thought it could be improved. There
fore for the next week he mixed fax
seed with the oats and soaked slippery
elm In the water pail. He did make an
improvement. and he was glad He
was. however. the only one in Somer-
set who was glad.
No one advertised for lost mule.
No one came making Inquiries. To
obey the law made and provided in
such cases Deacon Bradley advertised
that he had picked up an estray, which
the owner could have by paying dam
ages after proving property, but there
was no response. And yet there was.
That mule seemed to divine that he
had been advertised, and he set up
such lonesome braying that 1t took
five Jumps Of sugar and four quarts Of
oats to still it.
what about the mule, deaconT was
a question asked a dozen times day,
and the answer always was;
Dunno, though I'm going to give
him chance"
The animal was not worked. All he
was asked to do was TO enjoy state
of idleness. This went on for six long
weeks, and then his conscience began
TO prick him, Was he showing his
gratitude? Was he on the job2 He
decided that he wasn't, and at 10
O'Clock one night he stuck his head
out Of the open window in his stall
and began to bray. The flaxseed and
slippery elm had worked wonders. His
bray was now as clear as the notes OF
a prima donna and as farreaching as
the whistle Of an ocean liner. 1t was
a w-hup-hup- hupp
The deacon didn't awake because he
was good man and his conscience
was clear. The next morning, how.
ever, he was tackled by score of
Hckers who had got on to the mule |
Some kindly asked him to knock the |
animal in the head with an ak, and |
some almost threatened to do as much |
for him If he didn't turn the brayer |
loose. To one and all he answered:
Mature meant man to talk and the |
mule to bray, and | am not going agin
nature"
The deacon found his friends drop |
ping away from him. but he made 1t
up by spending more time in the com
pany of the mule
Then one morning-one morning /
when not bray had disturbed the
silence of the previous night-the mule |
was found dead in his stall The peo- |
pie passed from the barn to the house,
and they found the deacon dead in his
bed Both man and mule had passed /