ill know that you were once afraid
of Hoots, the bear."

So, for years and years, the dove flew fearfully here and there,
uttering his timid call, "Hoo, hoo." At last white men came, and were
sorry for him, and built dove-cotes where he and all his family could
be sheltered and live in peace. There seemed to be no work at first
for the doves to do, but at last it was discovered that they could
carry letters tied about their necks and hidden in their feathers.
They flew quickly with them to escape danger.

That is why there are pictures of doves on our valentines. The doves
grew brave enough to carry messages of love from one person to
another, but they are always timid and keep the love that is in the
valentine a secret from all except the person to whom it is sent.

EASTER

MOLLY'S EASTER HEN

When Molly came in from the chicken house, she looked very sad.

"O dear me!" she sighed. "I'm so disappointed!"

"What is it, sunny girl?" asked mother.

"Red Top hasn't laid an egg, and to-morrow is Easter. I shut Red Top
in all by herself, so I should know that it was her very own egg, and
she hasn't laid any."

"But the other hens have. We shall have plenty of Easter eggs to
color," said mother.

"But I was going to take one of Red Top's eggs to Auntie Brooke for
Easter," said Molly, dismally.

"Wouldn't any other egg do?" asked mother.

"It wouldn't be half so nice," replied Molly. "Auntie Brooke gave me
Red Top, and this is the first Easter since I had her. I told Auntie
Brooke I was going to bring her one of Red Top's eggs for Easter."

"You shouldn't count on Easter eggs before they are laid," said her
mother. "I am sure Auntie Brooke will understand if you take her
another egg. You may color it pink, and I will let you have some
gilding, so that you can mark her name on it. It will be a beautiful
Easter egg."

Molly tried to smile. All day she kept going out to where Red Top was,
to see whether the expected egg had been laid. That, and the work of
coloring eggs for the family, kept her busy all the day. The pink eggs
were beautifully colored, but she would not gild Auntie Brooke's name
on one.

"I have a plan," she said. "I believe I'll have an Easter egg for
Auntie Brooke, after all, mother."

On Easter morning Molly ran out into the hen-house before any one else
was awake. After breakfast she slipped away; she carried a covered
basket and walked very fast. First she went through the green