The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1908-05-13
- feet but ali agreed that at Jehu's

II feet. but all agreed that at Jehu's
advanced age even d donkey could not
possibly survive 50 hard q fall On:
auestionabIy the faithful ass was dead.
.Strangp solution of the problem
what to do with aehu. isn't it," Mr..
jenkins asked in ii voice whose tone
of too affected grief led Mrs. Jenkins
to remark.
Il do believe you're glad he's dead
"Ch. no. my dear he said. resenting
her reproach with 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 good
mule and I'm as sorry as anybod
only I'm honest enough to say that he's
been saved a lot of suffering. and
we've been saved lot of trouble!'
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 Oh 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.
"Oh, he's dead all right Tom as
serted, "or 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"
''Yes, if you're sure. l wouldn't like
to bury him alive" the farmer an
swered and kicked a little loose earth
into the well, adding after listening
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
pGiu " Lie W "a III VI d1y SACdlni z WV II
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 over open graves. Who
ever died, man or beast, but the gap
ing crowd consoled it's sorrows, some
with the reflection that they would
H. -, .3ar,
of care, some that there would be more
standing room on earth, some that they
could now wear the abandoned shoes
and some that they could spend the
substance Of the dead? But these are
feelings which we try to cover up
from our own eyes as well as those of
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 collar round it's mouth The sex
tons simply had to push it back.
1t was not very deep well either
and would require so little time for
filling that everybody fingered to see
the last of the obsequies of the poor
old ass. The men were strong and
spelled each other at the work SHOW
elful after shovelful of earth tumbled
into the gaping hole with dull thud
From the sound of the falling clods it
was evident that the grave was nearly
filed. Mrs Jenkins and Susie were
turning sadly away when suddenly an