94 DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



lenslee a severe blast of snow came on by night, about the lat- 

 ter end of April, which destroyed several scores of our lambs, 

 and as we had not enow of twins and odd lambs for the mothers 

 that had lost theirs, of course we selected the best ewes and 

 put lambs to them. As we were making the distribution, I 

 requested of my master to spare me a lamb for a ewe which he 

 knew, and which was standing over a dead lamb in the end of 

 the hope, about four miles from the house. He would not let 

 me do it, but bid me let her stand over her lamb for a day or 

 two, and perhaps a twin would be forthcoming. I did so, and 

 faithfully she did stand to her charge. I visited her every morn- 

 ing and evening for the first eight days, and never found her 

 above two or three yards from the lamb ; and often as I went 

 my rounds, she eyed me long ere I came near her, and kept 

 stamping with her foot, and whistling through her nose, to 

 frighten away the dog. He got a regular chase twice a day as I 

 passed by ; but however excited and fierce a ewe may be, she 

 never offers any resistance to mankind, being perfectly and 

 meekly passive to them. 



" The weather grew fine and warm, and the dead lamb soon 

 decayed ; but still this affectionate and desolate creature kept 

 hanging over the poor remains with an attachment that seemed 

 to be. nourished by hopelessness. It often drew tears from my 

 eyes to see her hanging with such fondness over a few bones, 

 mixed with a small portion of wool. For the first fortnight 

 she never quitted the spot ; and for another week she visited 

 it every morning and evening, uttering a few kindly and heart- 

 piercing bleats ; till at length every remnant of her offspring 

 vanished, mixing with the soil, or wafted away by the winds." 



