Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-07-07
MICKEY SAVES HIS DAD.

The King Pine Of Lindsley's Wood was
singing an obligato solo. The smaller trees
around him furnished the chorus, but
above the cymbal changing of the naples
bare branches, above the chestnut's
hoarse complaining. above the creaking
of the oak and the whisper of the laurel
bush, sounded the voice of the mighty
Pine, the thunderer. Deep into the hills
crest had he thrust his foot, now moe
casined with snow. His foothold was
firm. When the tempest smote him his
huge body swayed, he tossed his great
arms against the nights blackness and
sang his song of triumph "a song SO deep.
so profound, so awful. that the laurel
bush over which he cast kindly shadow
In the summers no ,nday trembled
In every limb and expected to be
crushed. But this Goliath of the
woods was not singing his death
song. He swung back and forth. to be
sure, and never before had the Forest
Chief been called upon for such an effort
In natures chorus. But he was equal to
1t. AL tho fbers of his mighty heart
were strained, his clinging toes were
loosened from the rock, his great, sway.
ing. sinewy arms writhed in agony. But
each pendant, slender needle did double
duty, and when their 1000, 900 rustlings
were united the deep toned, reverberant
voice of the King Pine was as the hoarse
thunder of the sea. 1t was only at inter.
walls that the pine roared. There were
were times when his voice was lullaby,
soft and soothing as that he had sung ON
summer afternoons when crows perched
in his hair and called to their mates in
Stumpy field. For three days did the
King Pine shake the wood with his thun.
der tones and hush it to RESI- with his lul-
laby. Then the great maestro decreed the
He tore the black clouds into fragments.
He sent down the silent sunbeams to start
the sap flowing in the veins of the King
Pine And he, this Hercules of the forest,
tossed his green crest and sang low,
soothing symphonies.
Scarcely a stones throw from the King
Pine stood the Finn shanty. When the
great storm came Mr.. Finn was i'll of
fever. On the Sunday night when the
storm began, carly in the evening Mrs.
Finn had left her husbands bedside and
gone to the back door to look at the sky
As she lifted tho latch gust Of wind
swept around the corner of the house and
dashed deluge of rain in her face. Mrs.
Finn shook her boy Mickey, who was
asleep in the rocking chair before the fire.
Wake up, by" said she. "Th' night
is as black as drove iv black hogs, an
tn rains comm down in washtubs full.
Hav' ye tn nanny In tn cellarf"
''No. mother. replied Mickey sleepily,
rubbing his eyes and yawning, "she's out
in her barrel forninst tn fnce"
''Ah. tn dear" replied Mrs. Finn.
"An' tn wather peltin' herl Shure her
milkn be all wather In tn mornin' Bring
her In tn cellar; that's dear, where she'll
be dhry."
Mrs. Finn had forgotten to mention the
billy, probably because he had no tactical
value and possibly on account of his nm
dignified conduct on one or two memorable
occasions. But little Mike didn't forget
him. After he had rescued the nanny
from her ieaky barrel he went back after
her consort. The elements, however, had
not subducd the billys spirit. and it was
only after half an hour of desperate strug-
Cling that the obstinate old he goat was
locked in the cellar and the latch fastened.
Even then he butted the door In vain
effort to regain his freedom Mickeys
shins were barked in the struggle. his