in the shadows, were crystal-clear and pure ; and 

 out there it was intended that he should dwell, 

 and in those sweet streams that he should wash. 

 But what a modicum of wit, of originality the 

 little- beast had, that, because he was born a 

 washer, wash he must, though he washed in mud, 

 nay, though he washed upon the upturned bot- 

 tom of his empty tub !— for this is what Mux 

 did sometimes. 



I never blamed Aunt Milly for insisting upon 

 this rather ill-sounding name of "Mux" for the 

 little coon. She was standing by his cage, 

 shortly after his arrival, watching him eat cab- 

 bage. He washed every clean white piece of it in 

 his oozy tub before tasting it, coating the bits over 

 with mud as you do the lumps of fondant with 

 chocolate in making " chocolate creams." Aunt 

 Milly looked at him for some time with scornful 

 face and finally exclaimed : 



" Umph ! Dat animile am a dumb beast shu' ! 

 Eubbiu' dirt right inter clean cabbage ! Sich 

 muxin' ! mux, mux, mux ! Dat a coon ? Dat 

 ain't no coon. Dat 's a mux ! " And she scuffed 

 off to the house, mumbling, " De muxinest thing 

 I done evah seen." Hence his name. 

 [115] 



