DRAUGHT WORK 59 



a poor reason for ill-treating him. The average 

 coster's donkey is a poor feeble little creature com- 

 pared with the fine ass of Eastern lands from whom 

 he is descended, and the difference is simply due 

 to neglect and bad treatment. In cases where they 

 have been treated with the same care as horses they 

 have well repaid the trouble ; and fine specimens of 

 what the donkey may and should be are to be seen 

 at shows. There is no reason why they should not 

 be as carefully groomed and kept as horses are. It 

 would be a great and invaluable aid to the ' cause of 

 humanity ' to organize in each rural district, and in 

 large towns, too, an annual parade embracing all 

 classes of the working horses, ponies, and donkeys, to 

 be held on one of the Bank Holidays. If the Rector 

 and some of the influential residents would only 

 interest themselves in the matter it would answer in 

 many ways. The rules and regulations could be 

 made at the church room or village club, com- 

 mittees formed, many an evening being profitably 

 spent talking matters over. And then the local ex- 

 citement and interest aroused, and the prettiness of 

 the sight on the all-important day ! Clean carts and 

 harness, shining buckles and chains, the tossing, 

 ribbon-bedecked heads of the animals, happy and 

 comfortable in possessing clean and glossy coats. 

 Very much might and ought to be done in this way. 

 Even the poorest possessor of an animal could afford 

 to pay a nominal fee for entrance and towards the 

 prize fund, and ladies would be only too pleased to 

 collect the prize-money. 



