Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-01-12


Here's to the mule! The mule is
the only thing we have left now with
an honest kick.
IN G.
Just now l met Methodist preach
err who grew up on farm in ZEN
nessee. We discussed hell and then
,urned to mules. There's some con-
nection, by the way, come to think OF
lit. Our views on mules conceded.
Both of us felt that monument
should be builded to the mule, who
has been neglected by his human
users and abusers because he mas
neither pride of ancestry nor hope OF
posterity."
And because he is stubborn.
N G.
The quality called stubborness in
A mule could be transferred to the
human without hurt-eXcept to the
mule. 'Twould be a pity were he rob-
bed of his distinguishing character
istic. A mule so robbed would be
sorrier hybrid than he is with all his
stubbornness holding him Johhny-on-
thespot.
He isn't anybody's fool.
He has the right to bray his bray,
AS you and / to say our say;
The right is his to take his stand
And show, the same as us, his sand
m c.
My preacher friend asked me if l
ever had handled mules | did-once
only. When / was a boy l was man
aging editor of a road-scraper attach
ed to a pair of Missouri mules, for
one day only At the end of that day
| swore-swore at the endamind you
never again to have any active par
ticipation in mule culture.
N c.
Nevertheless, have come to re-
spect the mule. Maybe it is because
| have kept my oath and given him
his way while | have taken mine. The
mule has several good qualities in ad-
dition to his obstinate stand for what
he conceives to be right For one
thing, he never forgets an insult nor u
favor.
when l was "a boy on the old Ten
nessee farm" said the Methodist
preacher, II found mule with a
cuckle burr in one of his ears. l
thoughtlessly mashed his ear together
on the burr Whenever l met that
mule year and more afterward he
would shy from me, twitching back
that particular ear. He remembered,
all right
N c.
Hee- haw-haw!
But, at that, l never mashed in Il
mules ear on cuckle- burr! m
too religious. Toward the close of the
day mentioned, l tried to disengage q
cuckle burr from the tail of one of
my mules. He knew ] was doing him
favor, and he repaid it then and
there. He kicked me over the fence,
ten feet nearer my home.
N G.
All the same, I'm strong for the
mule. Thousands upon thousands of
him persisted in CHASTITY battle across
the Atlantic in the four years of hell
on earth. | take off my hat to the
mule hero; and right here | little
story. If you've ever heard a tale
that surpasses this for pure pathos,
don't tell ito to me, for / have no
more tears to shed.
Not long ago l met young soldier
who fought through several of the
| terrible battles on the western front.
/ requested him to tell me the most
vivid impression he had of the whole
horror of war. He said this: "In the
Argonne one day | saw a wounded
mule following his driver around The
great shells were bursting all about
us, the machine guns were splitting,
and the roar and rage of battle l shall
not try to describe Dead and wound
ed men lay all about, and others were
| falling. In the midst of that hell |
saw this wounded ml,le, blood pouring
from his shoulder, creeping abour
with his head down and his ears for
ward--his nose between the legs Of
the man who had been driving him.
his friend, who knew a bit more about
why they were fighting I reckon, than
the mule did. And the mule was
whining, begging in his mule way for
enlightenment, for comfort, for sue
cor. Can you beat it %
N c.
No, | can't. And, boys, once again,
| here's to the mule-iong may he wave
his ears and bray his bray!
| 49, IN Gr- sl
Copyright, 1899, by Bert Love.)
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