A Dove on a Pastor's Head.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 7, 9 January 1886, Page 6

A Dove on a Pastor's Head.

Tiik worshippers in the East Haven Congregational Church on Sunday morning witnessed a scene that will long be remembered. The pastor, Rev. Mr Clark, was about finishing the prayer immediately preseding the Bermon, when a dove lit upon the centre gallery in full view of the congregation and began gently cooing. As tho clergyman finished his prayer, the dove flew to tho side gallery and perched on the gallery railing about opposite the clergyman. When tho pastor was reading the chapter from which hia text was taken, the dove cooed when tho pastor's tones grew louder and stopped when he pausod. Ths pastor was reading the first chapter of John's gospol, and when ho read the 32nd verse and came to the clause " I saw the Spirit descending from Heaven HUo a dove, and it abode upon him," tho dove, which had by its motions indicated an intontion of flying to the pastor, flew to the sacred desk and perched directly upon tho open pages of tho sacred volume. The pastor's ;ext was tho fourth verse of tho chapter. The dove shortly after flew in a circle ovor the singers' heads in the sido seats, and settled down upon the platform below the pulpit, and hero it remained throughout tho sermon, occasionally emitting a " coo " as if in appreciation either of tho pastor's words or tho share of notice the congregation gavo it. At the conclusion of the sermon the pastor stepped down to lead iv the sacrament sorvices, and before doing bo closed the Bible, whereupon the dove flew up and lit upon the closed book and cooed. The bird thrico stepped on the book and returned to it. It then nestled down by the side of the sacred book, and remained there until tho sacrament service was closed. Tho climax here arrived. Mr Clark finished tho service with a few remarks in which, after noting the interruption that the dove had occasioned as having been remarkable in view of the singular coincidences which all had noted, he added that, as the Holy Spirit had descended on Christ, might not the presence of this winged visitor be taken as emblematical of tho presence of the Spirit in this church at this timo, whereupon the bird flew and lit directly upon the pastor's head. The effect upon the pastor and audience was electrical and where before the dove had bean regarded with simple curiosity and had caused smiling faces, now many of tho ladies were moved to tears and the wholo assembly seemed to be deeply and strangely affected. The pastor took the dove down and hold it against his breast, and in that position closed the services with the benediction.

Tho dove was Stovey Bradley's pet dove, which, somewhat like Mary's little lamb, had followed him, not to school, but to church. He saw it following him, and motioned it back. Tho dove flow back, but seeing Stevey's sistor en route to church, took heart and followed her, and when ehe entered the church the bird stole in by the gallery ataira and flow into the gallery. Thero being no one in the galleries, the bird had no one near it, and from this vantage ground descended upon the pulpit.—" New Haven Journal and Courier."