Year: 1879

= carry its point; it turns conversation
: from dangerous approaches; it neve
, sees what is best unseen; 1t does no
/ answer to that which requires a scath
t ing reply II heard at all; 1t remember
3 names and faces, 1t has the apropo
anecdote: II 1t does not 60 out of thu
, way to Hatter, neither does it 60 out o
, the way to blame; where 1t canno
praise it is silent, and it never consents
: to mortify any.


The Mule a. Considered from the


South End.


The origin of this mule is enveloped
in good deal of mystery. Tradition
informs US that when the flood had
subsided, aud the ark had landed on
Mount Ararat, Noah was very much
surprised in one of his first observa.
tions to find good, healthy mule
standing on the top of an adjoining
mountain. The same tradition informs
US that the mule is the only animal
that lived through the flood outside the
ark.


The mule can be considered in a good
many ways, though the worst place
from which to consider him is directly
from behind, anywhere within radius
of ten feet. never consider a mule
from that point, unless ana looking
out through spy glass.


The word mule comes from the Greek
and signifies "to stop" and the mule
himself comes to stop also. Like multi
piled by like produces like grasshop-
pers multiplied by grasshoppers pro
duces famine, and potato bugs multi
piled by potato bugs produces rise in
the price Of yeast. But when you try
to multiply mules by mules they don't
multiply, and hence the word mule.
You may study your arithmetic, and
read all of Trains lectures, but you
cannot discover why this is so, any more
than you can why woman cannot put
on rubber without leaning up against
something.


If were to have large picture OF
innocence, to hang up in my rarlor,
and did not wish to sit for it myself,
! would get a correct picture of a
mule. There is innocence enough de-
picted in a mules countenance to fit
out Sunday school class.


A mule never gets old or dies or is
subject to rheumatism in the lower
hind limbs. Once brought into exist
anoe, he continues on forever. The
original mule is now alive somewhere
in the South, and is named Robert
Toombs, because he is so stubborn


The mule is good worker, but he
cannot be depended on He is Liable
to strike, and when he strikes haman
calculations fail to find out any rule
by which to reckon when he wiR 20 to
work again.


1t is useless to pound him, for he
will stand more beating than a sitting
room carpet. He has been known to
stand eleven days in one spot, appar-
emily thinking of something, and then
start off again as the0gh nothing had
happened.


Down South, when they have a sur
plus of small darkies on a plantation,
they send them out in the barnyard to
play where uOre is loose mule. They
bid them good bye when they start out,
for they are sure the starting will be
final. This is the most economics.
style of funeral now in he,market.
One of the dead certainties about a
mule is, he is srre footed, especially
with his hind feet. He never misplaces
them. If he a6Eertises that his feet
will be at certain place at a certain
time with sample of mule shoes to
which he would call your attention, you
will always find iGm there at the ap
pointed time.


He isas reliable as the days judg-
ment, and he never cancels an engage
ment. Every man now living who
drove mule team during the war,
receives a pension.


| never owned;e mule. I,came near
buying once. He was a fine looking
animal his ears stood up like the
side spires of an Episcopal church.
His tail was trimmed down, so that it
looked like a tar brush leaning up
against him. He looked all innocence,
though he was sCin no sense, The own.
er sat in the wagon, with his chin rest
ing on his hand and his elbows resting
on his knee.


In the other hand he held stick
with brad in the end of it. | exam
ined the mule and asked the man few
questions, and out of mere form in /
auired if the mllle was kind or if he
"kind? kick?" said the man,
and those were the last words he ever
He reached his stick over the
front of the wagon, and struck the brad
into the mule. 1t was awful 10 see a
man snutled out as,quckly as he was.
1t almost took away my breath, he
went so suddenly. never saw the
thread of life snap SO abruptly as it
dad on that occasion. He didn't have
Time to leave message for his family.
That mule simply dIcked his head and
there was crash, flying of splir ters,
and that was all. ] stood alone, my
face covered with astonishment two
feet deep, and his covered with a Eart
of an old bride.


| have seen death in many forms,
but don't recollect of ever seeing a
'unera! COTTON up with less pomp AID
display than on that occasion. If | had
ny choice in a nitro glycerine factory,
'r take care of a mule, should go for
he factory, as in case of af explosion
here would be more possibility of my i
riends fading some little memsntoes ,
# me, with which to assuage their
rief. "UEcf.g TIM"


Now, Is the Time.


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