Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-07-05

Filter was a dove. She was not a
white dove, neither was she ringed or
.speckled. She was not of a brilliant
blue color, with a peacock ruff around
her neck, like some rare creatures of
her kind. She was only plain little
dove-colOred dove, looking as though
she might be the very cOmmOnest kind
of q bird; but she was far from being
that, as you viii see.
One morning, Teddy Barker, the
miller's boy, said to his father: Have
you noticed the dove that sits up on the
beams in the hOrse-shed, or flies round
there all day? She's been there for
quite while"
81 saw one the other day" returned
Mr.. Barker "I threw her out a hand
full of grain. Hasn't she gone YETI"
"NO, " said Teddy. Il wouldn't Won
der if she had come to stay. 1t is get
ting to be pretty cold weather for her
to pick up things. 1 am going to feed
her now"
81 would, - said Mr.. Barker. He was
a kind-hearted man, and he knew what
a good thing it was for a ten-year-old
boy to have a pet. After that Teddy
fed the dove every morning and night.
One day he came in and said:
Father, I've got a name for that
dove"
"What is it?"
"You see, when I go out to feed her,
she comes down so pretty She doesn't
fly really, and she doesn't hutter She
sort o. filters. I'm going to call her
Filter"
"Au right" said his father. "I used
to have a dove when I was boy, and
called it Pete"
"Im not going to call my dove Pete,
rejoined Teddy, Indignantly. "YOu
might call bulldog Pete, but don't
think it's a nice name for a soft, little,
gentle dove. Now, Filter sounds
just like her"
All right, said Mr.. Barker, laugh
ing. So Filter she was.
1t was in early December when Teddy
first spied the dove. His father was
building a nice new henhOuse close by
the mill. When it was finished the
hens fOclned into it gladly. They had
had only q rough shelter before, and
the weather was growing very cold.
Father" said Teddy, one evening,
cts going to freeze like everything to-
nigho. L believe I'll put Filter into
the henhouse."
"That's a good idea, 8" his father re
there whenever she likes. There's
plenty of ROOM"
So Teddy introduced Filter into the
henhouse. She gazed about her new
home with bright, pleased eyes; that
is, Teddy said they looked pleased.
The hens, however, did not seem to
welcome her very gladly. For several
days, they made poor little Filters
life miserable by PecEing at her, and
cacking all sorts of ugly noises at her;
but she showed no sort Of resentment
when she was attacked. She merely
few out of the way very softly until the
naughty hens Gained down. Then she
would take her place among them
again, with a sweet confidence, which
after a little seemed to disarm their
wrath.
Before Filter had been an inmate of
the henhOuse two weeks, there was not
a fowl in it which did not seem glad to
have the little dove snuggle down be-
side her at night. If dear little Filter
had understood the New Testament,
she could not have followed its pre-
.cepts more closely.
One day, Teddy came running into
the mill in great excitement. Come"
he called to his father. "COme, quick! !"
not. So he followed Teddy to the yard
of the hen house, where there were two
hens fighting in the most vicious way.
FILTER was on a perch Just above the
.cOmbatants, and evidently in great dis
tTess. She futtered about wildly, and
uttered little heart-brOken means. FL
nally, she filtered" gently through the
air, landing right between the angry
fighters.
There" whispered Teddy, chats
Just what she did when I ran in to get
you. 1 was in hopes she would do it
then, for 1 saw the hens wouldn't
stop. Now, how do you suppose a
little bit of a dove like her dares to
go right In between those great cross
hens? I should think she would be too
scared.
Mr.. Barker shook his head. "It's be-
yond me-" he said.
The hens would not hurt their little
friend on any account, and presently
the fight stopped.
eve heard of the dove of peace. >
and all that, declared the good miller
afterward. in describing the scene to
one of the nelghbOrs, ~but I didn't
suppose doves were really so much in
clined that way. This one is, though 5"
After that Teddy watched the dove
more closely than ever, and ran when
ever he heard the noise of battle In
the hen-yard. He found that 1t was
part of the regular programme for the
dove to interfere In all the fights that
went on there. Teddy saw her break
up many and many petty squabble,
Just as she had broken up the one
which he had called his father out to
see.
The spring came on. The flock OF
hens had been considerably thinned
out to supply the good milleE's table,