Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-03-26

ty feet. but all agreed that at Jehu's
advanced age even Il donkey could not
possibly survive so hard a fall. I'm
questionably the faithful ass was dead
Strange solution of the problem
what to do with Jehu, isn't it?" Mr.
Jenkins asked in a voice whose toni
of too affected grief led Mrs. jenkins
to remark:
II do believe you're glad he's dead!"
ooh, no, my dear!." he said. ~resenting
her reproach with a quite sincere an.
ger. "I'm not exactly glad he's dead;
but. then. you know. he had to die
some time and in some way, and |
reckon he found this one bout as sat.
isfactory as any. He's been a good
mule, and I'm as sorry as anybody,
only Pm honest enough to say that he's
been saved a lot of suffering, and
we've been saved a lot of TROUBLED"
Better not preach his funeral ser.
mon till you really know he's dead,
Remember bout that editorial on
Judge Hancock, don't you?" observed
the irrepressible Daniel, referring to a
newspaper eulogy on the character OF
a distinguished citizen who had in.
sisted upon defeating the prognostica.
lions of the whole medical fraternity
and surviving to read his own obit-
uary.
ooh, he's dead all right Tom as
serted, cor you'd hear him honk or
kick or heave. Listen! There isn't
any sound, you see. Old Jehu's done
for. Better bury him right where he
is, hadn't we, father? It's not often
that any one so accommodatingly dies
in his own grave"
eyes, If you're sure. 1 wouldn't like
to bury him alive" the farmer an
swered and kicked a little loose earth
into the we'll, adding after listening a
minute: "That settles it! Better get
some shovels and begin"
The time consumed by the hired men
in going to the barn for tools was prof
itably employed in eulogies upon the
character and accomplishments of the
dead donkey, and never were there
more kind and complimentary tributes
paid to the worth Of any creature down
below the scale of human life. And
yet it must be sadly said that there
was still in every breast but Boobies
that pitiless joy that wells up from
living bosoms Eel open graves. Who
eve died, man or beast, but the gap.
ing crowd consoled it's sorrows, some
with the reflection that they would
now be relieved from a heavy burden
of care. some that there would be more
standing % on earth, some that they
could nov wear the abandoned shoes
and some that they could spend the
substance Of the dead? But these are
feelings which we try to owe uL
from u own eyes as we'll as those O
others, and Mrs. Jenkins, who could
not perfectly succeed in doing so. was
quite as much relieved as all the rest
when the men came back with the
tools and the rough interment was be
gun.
How thoughtful the good old donkey
seemed to every one! If he had de
liberately planned to save them trou
BILE, he could not have arranged the
circumstances of his death more con
veniently. When the we'll was dug the
earth had not been carried off and now
lay a collar round its mouth. The sex,
tons simply had to push it back.
1t was not a very deep well either
and would require SO little time fol
filling that everybody fingered to see
the last of the %obsequies of the poo
old ass. The men were strong an6
spelled each other at the work. Shov
elful after shovelful of earth tumblet
into the gaping hole with a dull thud
From the sound of the falling clods i
was evident that the grave was nearly
filled. Mrs. jenkins and Susie were
turning sadly away when suddenly al