TIM'S DOTE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1971, 14 November 1889, Page 35

TIM'S DOTE.

One day when little Tim Ray was picking berries in a field he found a dove with a broken wing. He carried it home, and bound the wing close tc the dove's side with a linen band. Soon the wing was as well as ever, and the dove could fly again, but it did not want to fly away from Tim, for it had grown very tame. Tim was glad to have it stay, for he had no pets nor toys. i ••. - When he went to pick berries the dove-would go too, sitting on his shoulder. Tim named it Fairy, and taught it to come at hia call and to eafc from his hand. At night the dove would sometimes roost on the head of Tim's bad. • The next winter Tim's mother was taken very sick. There was no one to nurse her but Tim, and when she grew worse, day after day, and could not eat anything, Tim called a doctor to come and ccc her. " She will got well if she has good food," said tha doctor. "She must have some chicken soup or meat broth. 1 * ' They had no mon9y to buy- meat, for his mother was very poor. But he thought at once of his dove. He knew that it would make a good broth, but he could not bear to kill it. He took his little bird in his hand and carried it to a neighbour across the road, " Please kill my dove and make my mother somo broth," he said, " for Bhe ia so sick, and she has nothing to eat." Then he ran back homo very fast and tried not to thiuk of his poor little dove. Ho did not want his mother to see him cry, for then bLo would say that the bird must not be killed. In about an hour fcho neighbour brought some good hot broth, and when Tim'a mother had taken it she said aho felt almost well again. ' " You Bhall have some more tomorrow," said the woman. " I will make broth for you until you are quite well." Tim followed the woman to the door as she went out, and said, bo that his mother could not hear, that he had no more doves, and that he did not know how to get meat for more broth, But before the neighbour could speak, there was a little rustlo of wings, and Fairy flaw in and lighted on Tim's shoulder 1 " You BBc I did not kill your dovo," said the womsa. " I mode the broth from a chicken, and I have plenty more at home. Ytu are a good boy to be willing to have your pefc dove killed to make broth for your mother." How happy Tim was ! He loved his dove bettor than ever now that he had it back again. His mother did not know until she waß quite well how near she had come to eating poor little Fairy,