Brotherly Love | Page 5

a bird of the pigeon or dove
species, and therefore Marten thought would be the most likely place to
go first to look after the strayed ones. Think, then, what must have been
his joy as they entered the second meadow not far from the stile,
absolutely to behold the ringdoves, his mamma's own ringdoves
walking upon the grass cooing and billing, and turning about their soft
eyes in this direction and the other, as if half afraid of the freedom they
had acquired for themselves. As to Reuben, he was so pleased, that the
little foolish fellow clapped his hands and shouted for joy, which so
alarmed the doves, that they took to their wings and soared high, but
flutteringly in the air, as if in their fright they did not know what they

ought to do for their own safety. Marten was very angry with Reuben
for his folly--very angry indeed, and I hardly know what it was he said;
only this I do know, that he took the box of cake from the child's hand,
and bade him stand at a particular spot--about twenty yards or so, in a
direction farthest from the wood, and from the stile leading to their
home; "and there," he added, "remain till I tell you you may stir, if you
are so stupid as not to know that clapping your hands and shouting loud
will frighten any birds, particularly timid ones like doves--tame doves,
especially, who have strayed from their home."
Marten looked so cross, that Reuben did not even like to cry, for he felt
he had been very silly; so the poor little fellow stood where his brother
had bade him stand, half afraid to breathe, and quite afraid of
moving--lest by any noise he should again drive away the doves, and
Marten should again be angry. And there we will leave him to speak of
how his brother set himself to work to reclaim his mother's birds.
I have said before that he had some cake in a box in his hand, and
having tossed off his hat--lest by any accident it should fall off when he
was stooping forwards, he threw himself upon the grass his full length,
and as he rested on his right hand; with his left he sprinkled some of the
cake he had with him on the ground, to attract the doves near to him, in
the hope he would catch one; and the second, he rightly guessed, would
not then be long out of his power. Marten relied on the tame habits of
the doves, who had been accustomed not only to eat out of his brother's
hands, but also from his mother's, and occasionally of late from his own;
but it is a different thing feeding birds in their own aviary, and when
they have escaped half wild to their native haunts. And now, whilst the
boy stretched upon the ground, was wholly occupied in the earnest
desire of reclaiming the wanderers, Reuben's attention after awhile was
diverted by seeing that some one was approaching towards them from a
hill, in a direction farthest from their home. This person was riding at
no slow pace, and as I said before, as his road led him down hill, he
seemed not to spare his horse; meeting the wind, as Reuben thought
gloriously, and passing along at a pace, the child considered more
glorious still. "When I am a man," the little fellow said to himself, "I
will ride so, I will have a horse, and I will ride very very

fast,--yes,--that I will."
Now it seemed that the rider from the elevated road could look over the
meadows below, and probably having good eyes, for they certainly
were young and sharp ones, he soon spied out Marten and Reuben, and
as it came out afterwards that Marten was the person he sought after, he
caused his pony to leap over a small ditch that was in his way, and then
guiding it to a gate he dismounted and fastened the animal to the post
by its bridle. In leaping the ditch his hat had fallen off, and making
signs to a large Newfoundland dog that had accompanied him, the
noble animal was by him directed to lie down near the horse and take
charge of the hat, whilst his master stepped lightly along the grass in
the direction where Marten lay extended, so occupied about the doves
as to regard nothing that was passing round him. The new comer was a
youth of about Marten's own age, the only child of a gentleman who
lived about four miles from Marten's father, and the most constant
companion that Marten possessed. His name was Edward Jameson, and
he shall himself say the cause of his present