Wichita eagle., 1888-06-17
MICKEY FINN'S DARBY.

Tom Connor was the blacksmith over
the hill. Mickey Finn was in the habit Of
running on errands for Tom, and SO, when
Providence sent q litter of pigs into Toms
stv, he picked out the smallest, scrawni-
est, most nleasly looking pig in the litter
and gave it to Mickey. Of course, the boy
was delighted, and he ran home with the
squesling little porker under his arm.
Now, if there was anything of which Mrs
Finn was fond it was fresh pork, espe-
ciaiiy when it was young and tender. But
she had had considerable experience with
animated pork in her day, and after lock-
ing at Miekey's acquisition with the eye
of @ connoisseur she decided that the
chances of the pigs ripenlng into plump
hams and juicy chops were very slim. The
economic question having been disposed
of, Mrs Finn evidently saw no value in
the pig from an ornamental or sentimental
standpoint, for she said:
Now, Mickey, you take that rack o.
bones, wild no mate on its back, t Tom
Common, an tell him he might be up t
betther business nor shown OH his bones
and bristles on ye. Fax, lie might as
well be eivin' We stbove CRATE. LUX at
tn tail " tn boneenl Musha, thare's no
more twist to it than there is in hoe
handler
Bat, mother, don't want tn pig t
ate. [ want t play wild himl'
"Play wild a pig, is it! God save US!
Mkt ven want to be playing wild Feenan's
calf, SO ye Will. Oh, but you're looney
by; ye're out iv ye're Swim small sinses-
Play wild pig Och, did liver hear the
likesl Play wild pig! Mebbe ye'd be
putin pants on him an feedin' him wild a
spoon, agra. It's a quere lad We are, me
by, wild ye're ould div7il goats and that
black crow as has shiny beads in his head
Well well, an l wantin' 8 make ly'yer
tv ye stead iv dirty snake charner or
mauthering vagabones as ye viii be av ye
dent sthop foolin wild aniInalsl So, there.
Now, Mickey, take that pig back t Tom
Conaor an tell him & Civ ye wan wild
pork on his ribs an fato worth piclzlin' on
him Now run, run ava. "
Mickey picked up the pig tenderly in
his arms and went away over the hill. His
heart was heavy; but Tom Conner cheered
him up.
Mickey" said he, you an I win make
q pen for the porller foroninst tn forge.
m You can gather little grass an sthuff
fer him. Mebbe he'll get fat. Thin yer
mother'n be glad . hay him.. Wen call
the porker Darby"
The pen was built and Darby was duly
Installed therein. Under the fostering
care of the blacksmith and little Mike the
porker grew i'll size and plunpness, and
endeared himself to Mickey by his many
winning ways. The big became broad Of
back and strong Of limb. Darby's ears
began to droop upon his neck and he was
very fond Of being scratched between
them with 8 piece of old iron And so the
days fed quickly by, filed with the JOY Of
content. There was no presage in the air
of coming disaster; no kindly prophetic
spirit to warn the boy and the Unsuspect-
ing blacksmith of coming sorrow.
Perhaps It's better that the veil
Which hides the future from iuouiring eyes
Should not be rent,
And cen the thundeThoit should fall
From yon unclouded sky:
Than herald its approach with awful crash .
OF riven elements
Il
But while the May DAYS were Slipping
away into the eternitieS Mrs. Finn had not
been idle. Her boys eXtravagant praises
of Darby had awakened her cupnlity
anew. Often while Mickey was at school
Mrs. Finn took sly trips over the meadows
20 the sty. On each Of these occasions she
always took with her some choice morsels
which were calculated to increase Darby's
girth, and to make his jowls droop with
satness. Alas, however, Mrs. Film enter
tanned none of those fine sentiments of
unseifsh love for Darby which animated
her son. She could see no poetry in the
corkscrew curl of DaTby's tail as he
grunted with pleasure While gnawing last
years cabbage stump Her finer sensibiI-
tiles had been roughened by the sandpaper
OF misfortune. Each pound Darby gained
meant not added grace and finely nodded
proportion to her, but rather suggested
The salty pork barrel and the sizzling fry
ing PAN
During all this time Micley's old gray
bearded bllygoat was suffering the tor
ments of unrequited affection. Day by
day the billy saw Mickey go by him on his
way 10 the pig pen But once in three
long weeks did little Mike stop and gambol
with the goat as he had been won't to do
in the sweet old days before the coming
of the hated Darby. The goat seemed to
be aware that the affections OF his master
were waning away from him like the
twilight of sn autumn day" lie didn t
pine and droop as less heroic spirit
would have done but quietly waited. evil
IDENTIFY knowing that IN the fullRess of
time revenge should be his.
nj
Only little SuniS hollow in Sunny
Eseid separated Darby and the goat. One
morning, while yet the grass was bending
beneath diamonds Of dew, the goat cSme
cut of his barred and stretched his legs.
lie looked off over the valley at the mists
fleeing up the rugged sides CT Snake Hul.
lie sasv the faint flush IN the east grad
lslly dcgpen into 8 vivid blush of rose
color Ee watched the fight OF flap
ping crow as IL rose from field of sprout-
ing Corn and perched in the top OF the big
pine in LindSsey's wood. Inspired by the
music of blue bird that few on the fence
and sang him a morning roundelay, the
billy became frisky and bumped his back.
Then he inSuised in q little practice buck
ing Wsliie engaged in this harmless
amusement the billy became aware sud
denly that he was 8 free goat. no longer
bound by the CALLING clotheslire. The
billy. having satisfied himself that he was
10 longer a captive. ambied over 70
uaroy's pen Tho pig w. asleep. he.
however. was soon awakened There was
battering ram at his gate Once, twice,
thrice did that implacable catapult huri
itself against the frail pen Then the
hemlock groaned IN sphntering pain; it
cracked IL b,-aka Darby sr,raYr n his