The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-12-24

| Jeremiah asked them to breakfast with him
| but when Fred and Rosina went out to
feed the chickens, they saw Jerry eating his
corn, and five pigeons perched on the edge
| of the crib, sharing the horses breakfast.
"Lookp' said Rosina. "Isn't Jerry too
sweet, he has got up charity for the burnt
| out pigeons" Fred saw the idea at once,
| and was pleased. He ran into the house,
| and got an old copy book; and on blank
page he wrote in large letters, THE PIGEONS
| RELIEF ASSOCIATION.
"Jerry must be president of the society,"
| said he, 'because he thought of it, You can
be treasurer, Rosy, and I'll be secretary and
do the writing
Rosina wanted to know her duties.
81 shall help you," said Fred, for you
| can't do it ALL We must take our berry pals
and 60 about and ask for pieces of cold
iohnny-cake that are too small to be polite
to give to poor people, and dried-up cake
and things"
81 don't like to go begging" said Rosina
ats for burnt-out pigeons" answered
Fred. $50 that is different and his sister
was quite convinced.
ssNow,u continued Fred, con this page l
| shall write down the donations. jeremiah
| Martin, Corn, is the first one; and now we'll
see if mother won't give us something for
| the P. r. A"
The Pigeons Relief Association prospered
finely. People liFed the idea, AMI Deacon
Harmon said he "always approved of chill
dren bein' real friendly with dumb critters
| It was good for both sides"
So the flock of pigeons numbered nearly
| as many as used to frequent the mill. and
the children went their rounds for contribu-
lions daily, in the wagon drawn by Jerry.
A week before Christmas, the children's
Uncle Henry. who was station-master at
Mooseford, six miles from Millwater, came
to take Rosina home with him to help her
cousin Alice tend little table at church
fair. Fred did not care for fairs. He was
going skating with the boys that evening
for, though there was no snow, the ice would
bear-but said he would drive up for Rosina'
the next morning.
On the way to Mooseford, Rosina told her
uncle all about the P. r. A.; and Uncle
Henry was SO much pleased that he prom
Used her pair of his best carrier doves to
add to her company.
1t would take quite too long to tell what
good time Rosina and Alice had together;
and little readers can imagine how pleased
Fred was the next day when RosiAa showed
him, through a crack in the basket that held
them, the carrier pigeons.
In the afternoon the two children set forth
for home. Jerry trotted along as if be saw
his supper ahead of him; and they had
very good time, both talking at once.
The road between Mooseford and Millwa-
ter is a pretty one. 1t is straight naerly all
the way until it comes to hill, where it
turns sharply round. following the bend of
the river. The hill is sandy and steep, and
the railway track runs close under it. Then
there is a wagon road; and from the road
the bank slopes down to the river jerry
was not at all afraid of cars; he took an in
telligent interest in the trains as they rushed
past him, and was very careful not to get
too near the track, but was no more afraid
than the Deacon would have been. So Fred
and Rosina were quite right in going along
the river road instead OF taking the old road
a little way back; for the old road took them
nearly two miles out of their way and the
Winter afternoons are short.
at is quarter to fve," said Fred, taking
out his silver watch. 1.-THE train does not
come by here till $40, so we shall get way
past the hill before it comes, AID Jerry don't
mind if it goes right by him."
So they turned the corner.
"Its going to be cold tonight said Rosi-
na Clear the windp'
Jerry heard something, too, for he plant
ed his feet firmly where he was and woald
moi go step farther. The children coaxed
and Fred hit Jerry with his soft red yarn
mitten as a last resort. But Jerry stood
firm. The noise grew louder and nearer. 1t
was not the wind, but great landslide of
loose sand that came sweeping down the
steep side of the hill where it had been cut
away for the railroad. 1t was about ahundred
yards in front of the children, and they
watched the sand as it tore down the tele-
graph pO1Cc dAu pOliC0 tfC AailOoQ tldSh
and the wagon road.
"Rosy," said Fred, 1--WE must get out of
this"
So he turned Jerry round. "And what is
more we've got to let Uncle Henry know
about it, for if the train should come round
the curve quick when it's most dark there'd
be no stopping her. We can't get way back
to Mooseford in time to save the train.''
Rosina looked ready to cry, then ex-
claimed: Erred, my carrier pigeonsr'
"Good for youp' cried Fred. '.I've read
lots of stories about them. Do you think
these fellows will know their way home to
Mooseford?"
"Oh, don't know walled Rosina, "and
all the people on the cars may have to get
klledp'
Fred stopped Jerry. Anyway, it's the
best we can do" said he. "We can't get
back to Uncle's; we couldn't if we were
driving Fly and Wisp instead of Jerry. We
couldn't get home to telegraph, and the
wires are all down anyway. It's the one
chance. Rosy. You open the basket when l
say noao, just wide enough for the pigeons
head to stick out. He'll put it out to look
round, and I'll tie a letter on him."
And Fred tore small piece of paper off a
bundle of candy that Uncle Henry had CIV
en- them. Rosina had a pencil, and there
was some string in Fred's pocket of course.
This was Fred's note. He wrote two let
tiers, so that if one pigeon failed to reach
home with the message, the other one might
succeed.
DEAR UNCLE HRNRY:-Don't let the train
leave Mooseford The side of the hill has slid
down onto the road. The telegraph is down.
Yours respectfully,
FRED MARTIN.
1t was not very easy to tie the notes on the
pigeons, but it was done. Rosina opened
the basket quite wide, and the children
watched the carrier doves rise up in the air,
wheel about for a moment, and then fly
away in the direction of Mooseford.
"There they CO." cried the children; and
started larry apain for homo rotind NV tho