The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 216: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE MESSENGER - BIRD 199 It was retained by two little hinges on one side, and as it opened downward, it had a very slight and flexible steel spring fixed underneath to keep it shut. As a matter of course, if this spring were taken away, the little trap-door would drop downward, and it must likewise be understood that the spring was so slight that while it was but just strong enough to sustain the door, the slightest weight touching the door on the uppermost side would make it sink down. But this was not quite all, for a little bell was suspended to the rafters close by the trap-door, and by another simple contrivance it was so arranged that if the trap-door opened by being pressed downward it caused this bell to ring. Every night, before retiring to rest, Rebecca Patch opened the little trap-door, and thrusting her arm through to the roof, drew in three small saucers. One she filled with water, the second with tares or parched peas, and the third with salt; then, having done this, she put the saucers out upon the roof again in a little sort of wooden recess or hutch, the object of which was merely to prevent the salt from being saturated with wet in case of rain. This was Rebecca’s nightly duty, and which she fulfilled with the utmost regularity. We may now continue our tale. It was two o’clock in the morning when Becky Patch was suddenly startled from her sleep by the tinkling of the little bell, and though its sound could scarcely have awakened any person under ordinary circumstances, yet by dint of habit the least note thereof would rouse up Israel Patch’s daughter as effectually as if a cannon were fired close by her ears. Springing from her couch, Becky instantaneously lighted a candle, and coaxingly extended her arm toward a pigeon which now appeared perched on the upper rail of a chair immediately under the little trap-door. The bird, with instinctive tame- ness, seemed to recognize a known friend, and immediately flew on the woman’s wrist. She caressed and addressed it in fondling terms; then she refreshed it with water, and having done this, looked beneath its wing. Thence she untastened the little scrap of paper which was tied there, and calculating for a moment the day of the month, mut- tered to herself, ‘‘ The letter L is the key.” Then she hastily glanced over the contents of the billet, upon which she made a cross with a pen, and having forth- COnNIEOOOKS (FO)