MELANCHOLY FATE OF A LITTLE GIRL
A bright-eyed winsome little girl was Edith Annie Piddington, aged five years. She was a favourite among the little children of West-Mills, with whom she played and went to school.

It was on Whit-Monday that Edith Annie, like the rest of the children, was having a holiday. She was seen playing in West-Mills, where she lived in charge of a worthy couple named Joseph and Sarah Davis. At five o'clock Mrs. Davis went to call her to come to tea, but alas, no little Edith came with tripping feet in response to the call of her good foster-mother.

Inquiries were made among the neighbours, but none could give any tidings, nor could her little playmates give any Information as to their little friend who had so suddenly disappeared. Fears began to be entertained that she must have fallen into the water, and these forebodings were strengthened when about eight o'clock a little hat, which was identified as that worn by Edith Annie, was discovered floating on the water the same evening near the Swing Bridge. A weary night and several weary days followed. Search was made along the water side, but without any success.

Last Wednesday evening, sixteen days after the disappearance, Thomas Nightingale. a groom and gardener of Greenham Mills, was passing the mill stream, and saw the body some 150 yards below the mill, and getting a rope and some grappling irons, brought it to land, and with the assistance of P.C. Jones it was removed to the "Swan," where an inquest was held on Thursday morning by Mr. J. C. Pinniger, and a jury of whom Mr. G. Paulin was foreman.

Evidence was given by Nightingale, P.C. Jones. and Mrs. Davis, the latter stating that she had had charge of Edith Annie from the time she was seven weeks old. The mother was Kate Piddington. a single woman. The jury were not long, after having heard the evidence, in coming to the conclusion that the little girl had been "drowned by having accidentally fallen Into the Canal." '

The same day the fast decomposing remains were removed to West Mills, and on Saturday afternoon the burial took place at the Cemetery. A number of little girls attending the British School followed the remains of their little school friend. Assisted by Miss Pascoe and the teachers, four nice wreaths were made and together with others placed upon the tiny coffin. A wreath was also placed upon the grave on Sunday by Mr. Lewis, as coming from the infants' class of the Primitive Methodist School, and the hymn sung on the last Sunday Edith Annie was present was again sung, with its chorus, "I am so glad that Jesus loves me."