in RIVERSIDE LETTERS 17 



nounce that she was dying, in his opinion, as 

 much from old age as anything else. I am 

 inclined to think, however, that the extra- 

 ordinary drought in the spring and summer 

 (1893) had somehow injured her health, as 

 she must have greatly missed the fresh grass, 

 which was her chief diet. Her little paddock 

 was completely baked up for three months, 

 and she had to be fed on odds and ends 

 from the kitchen garden. Her death was 

 deeply lamented by all who knew her ; she 

 had many friends in the town besides our- 

 selves, children and others frequently stop- 

 ping to talk to her, and feed her through the 

 railings of her paddock as they passed by. 

 With the help of my boys I dug her grave, 

 and superintended her funeral. I had, with 

 aching heart, to break the sad news to 

 Madame Maes, who sent me three white rose- 

 bushes to plant over the grave. I shall have 

 to get a new donkey before next summer to 

 work the mowing machine, but it will be 

 impossible to get one so sweet and com- 



c 



