THE DONKEY.

Clutha Leader, Volume 1, Issue 52, 8 July 1875, Page 4

THE DONKEY.

Was it not Mr Samuel Weller who asserted that no man ever saw a dead donkey or a dead post-boy. In this country a live donkey (I mean the quadruped) is seldom seen, let alone a dead one. Neither is a post-boy often to be met with, for the days of the post-chaise are nearly over. To see a donkey for the first time is a pleasure reserved for our New Zealand born infants ; but whether the hearing him bray will be found a pleasure may be doubtful. Probably those who are ignorant of his elocutionary powers will be considerably astonished when they first hear him give voice, for when he condscends to bray he does make an unearthly din. The sweet note of our New Zealand bird called the laughing jackass is perhaps nearly on a par with the bray of the British donkey, as far as extraordinariness and brilliancy of execution are concerned. We make game ot the poor donkey, yet surely he is the most holy of animals, for upon an ass' foal rode our Savour when he entered into Jerusalem. It is a singular coincidence that there is a stripe in the form of a cross on, I think, the back or shoulders of the donkey. Weil there are donkeys and donkeys. There is the poor, half-starved, ragged coated fellow, who picks up a precarious existence on the village green, affording occasional amusement to a troop of school boys, who mount him one after the other apparently for no other reason than the pleasure of being immediately kicked off again. Then there are the poor wretches to be found on the sands at a British watering place for the accommodation of visitors, under the care of ragged urchins, who prevail on their charges to advance in a forward direction by a rather less gentle process than the presentation of grass, and the mild request to "proceed, Edward." These donkeys are somewhat different to the donkey, " with a coat shining like satin and decorated with ribbons," lately presented to Lord Shaftsbury by the Xondon costermongers. I see one report says' the donkey stood on the platform like a lamb. Well, I suppose

.he would f stan§ ! like ; a 1 amb/ifj he; stood as a lamb usually does, on 1 ;four H-:legs,- --• and did hdjr Ambitiously raiseVhim'self onC two ixi " emulatiou' of 'his hhhian'spec-: tator. \lt was father a pity .the donkey i did'noi'g.e , 't'up : a''bray;whUV/h'is' Lordship had his arm ronndhls heck, -That would ;haye -been $, clelighte climax to the prpceedings. ; Of -course agppd many jokes" will .' ; 'haye •* been ' cut; about Lord Shaf tsb'ury andjthe donkey, hut I dbn*t see ' any particular heed of ■ thorn. . Perhaps his •''■'Lordship -' : may 7 be! a 'trifle' perverse occasionally/ but t T suppose -he has done ; much • good among^ the poor, and: he is. always to the fore, in any philant; hippie^work. [ • '.