The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1888-08-03

MICKEY FINN's DARBY
Tom Common was the blacksmith owe,
the hill. Mickey Finn was in the habi
of running on crrands for Tom, and so
when Providence sent u litter of pipi
INTO Toms sly. he picked out the smal
'csi. scrawnicst, most mcasly-lookin.
pig in the litter, and gave tito Mickey
or course the boy was delighted, anc
he ran home with the squcaling littl,
porkcr under his arm. Now. if Their,
was anything of which Mrs. Finn wa.
fohd 1t was fresh pork, especial,
when 1T was young and tender. BuI
She had had considerable experience
with animated pork in her day, and af
ter looking at Mickey's acquisition
with the eye of Il connoisseur she deci.
ded thai the chance of the pigs ripen.
ing into plump hams ard Juicy chops
were very slim. The economic 1ucs.
ton having been disposed of, Mrs
Finn evidently saw. no value in the pig
from an ornamental OF sentimental
standpoint, for she said:
Now. Mickey. You take that rack
o bones wild no mate on i, back t. Tom
Common. an tell hun he might be up t
h%ettler business o sAovin' OF his
bones an brisllcs ON We. Faix, he
might as well be givin' We IA sthove
CRATE. Lux nj til tail is tn bouecn,
Mi'sha, ihare's no more twist to itthan
there is in II ~hec-handlr.'
But, mother, | don't want tn pic y
ate. | want t play wild himm
ssploI wi,l 81 ,,i,r l.. 81. f'.l ~
Mkt ycll want To be playin' wild Fee
mars calf, so We will. Oh, but you're
Il looney by; ye're out " ye'rc siven
small sinses. Play wild II Pig. Och.
did liver hear the likes. Play wild u
pig! Mebbc ye'd be put.in' pants on
him an fecdin' him wild n spoon, agra.
1t sa qnare lad We are me BY, wild we're
"nltI dINvil goats and that black crow
as has shiny beads in his head. Well,
We'll. an | wantin' t make u ly'ycr iv
ye stead iva dirty snalle-clnruncr or
maulherin' vagabuncs us We will be iy
yc don't stiop foolin' wild animils! SO,
lhare. Now, Mickey, take that pig
back Tom Common an tell him L civ
We wan wild pork on his ribs an fate
worth picklin' on him. Now run, run
avail"
Mickey picked up the pig tendcrly
m his arms and went away over the
hiil. His heart was heavy; but Tom
Connor checreh him up.
Mickey" said he, you an / will
make Il pen for the porker f~oreninst
Tn forge, an YOU n gather Il little
grass an Sthuil fer him. Mcbbe hen
get FIJI. Thin yer mother'l he glad t.
hay him. Wen call the porkcr Oar.
by
The pen vas built and Darby was
dulN Installed therein. Under tile fos.
t. ing care of The blacksmith and little
NJ ie the porker grew in size and
PIT mpncss, and cndcalcd himself TO
Mickey by his many winning WAYS.
The pig became broad of back and
of limb. Darby's ears began
TO droop upon his nccl. and he was
very ION of being scratched between
mem with a piece of old ron. And so
The days He'd quickly by, filled with the
Joy of content. There was no prrsaee
n the air Of coming disaster; no kindly
prophetic spirit to warn The boy and
he n~nsuspcnting blacksmith o coming
Perhaps It's better that the veil
Which hides the future from ino,iriue eve.
Should not be rent. '
anu cen the thunlcrholt should fall
From yon uncloIldcd sky,
Iian herald its approach with awful crash
VI river clements.
III.
But while the May days were slip
sing AWAY into the ]eternities Mrs.
INN had not been idle. Her boys cx-
1i ND trp Mt i,i.nie,p Of ha,l.- NJ
,ened her cupidity anew. Often while
was ut school Mrs. Finn took
" trips over the meadows to the sty.
IN each OF these occasions she always
ook with her some cl.oice morscls
were calculated to increase Dar-
vs. eirth,and to make his iowls droop
Ilih fairness. Alas, however. Mrs.
inn entertained none of those fine
ent!mcnts of unseliish love for Darby
Incl animated her son. She could i
&c n"poetry in the corkscrew curl of
tail as he gruntcG with pleas |
/" while gnawing last years cabbage ,
5ump. Her finer ns.bilitics had :
cen r~onghened by the sandpapcr of :
sIsfortune. Each pound Darby gained /,
not added grace and finely !
proportion to her. but rather (,
lG@gested the salty pork barrel and the 5
zzling irving pan. .
During all this time Mickcv's old :,
lil,y-bcarded billy-@oat was suffering I
he torments of unrcq,litcd affection. !
ay by day the billy saw Mickey 90 by !
M on his way to the pig-pen. But
nee III three long weeks did little
stop and gambol with the goat
nc had been wont to do in the sweet
q days before the coming of the hated o
The goat seemed to be aware W
at the affections of his master were s,
aiming away from him, ''iikc the twill o
sht of an autumn day He didn't n
ne and droop as Il less heroic spirit L
ould have done, but quietly waited, b
identity knowing that III the fullness J,
time revenge should be his. II
III. =,
Only y little snnlit hollow in Stumpy
separated Darby and the roat. OF
lie morning, while yet the GRASS was d,
nding beneath diamonds of dew, the hi
came out of his barrel and w
his legs. He looked OH over re-
; valley at the mist leeing up the tn
ggrd sides of Snake Kill. He saw TIL
: ia'iii iuSt III thH east gf.llt1Hl!N III
ppcn into IL vivid blush of rose color.
watched the flight OF Il ilappiue he
NV as it rose from Il field of sprout-
corn and perched in the top Of the m
, pine in Lindslcy's wood. Inspired
the music of a bluc-bi;d that flew OF,
the fence and sang him a morning vi
'ndelay. the billy became frisky and wi
mped his back. Then he INDUCED l,l
II little backing. While engaged in lie.
$ harmless amusement the billy be- on
ne aware suddenly that he was a va
c goat, no longer bound by the gall pa
: clotlles-line. The billy, having so
is!icd himself that he was no longer a
aptivr. ambled over to Darby's pen. mi
g pig was asleep. He. however, was ce
N awakened. There was II batter M,
ram at his gate. once. twice, an
did that implac&bIe catapult
4 itself against the frail pen. Then We
hemlock groancd i'll splinter1ng usj
n; 1t cracked, it broke. Darby Cd!