The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1888-06-14

the corner OF tue mousse unu uhsheu
a deluge Of rain in her face. Mrs.
Finu shook her boy Mickey,who was
asleep 10 the rocking chair bef ore
the fire. awake up, BY" said she.
9Th, night is as black as dove iv
black hogs, an t'h rains comm
down in washtubs full Hav' 20 To
nanny in th'collarl"
NO, mothor,' replied Mickey
sloopily, rubbing bis eyes md yawu.
ing, she's out in her barrel forninst
th' fince.'
'Ab, th' doarl' replied Mrs. Finn.
An th' wathor peltin' herl Sbure
her milk'llbe all wather in th h'mornio.'
Bring her in tn cellar that's o dear;
whore she'll be dhry.'
Mrs. Finn had forgotten to men,
ton the billy, probably because he
had no lacteal value and possibly on
account of uudignified conduct on
one or two memorable occasions. But
little Mike didn't forget him. After
he had rescued the nanny from her
leaby barrel he went back after her
consort. The clement, however, had
not subdued the billy's spirit, and it
was only after half an hour OF des-
perate struggling that the obstinate
old ho goat was locked in the cellar
and the latch fastened. Even then
he butted the door in vain effort
to regain bis freedom. Mickey 4
shins wore barked in the struggle,
his hands were cat aud his trous-
ere torn. Mrs. Finn raised hel
hands in horror when her boy roturn-
cd.
'Arrah, bad luck t that black div
vie wild tn wicked horn ! Faix
didn't hear th' shilloo ye let out
whin he dhruv ye agin the fince
Musha, take tn ak au' bate in tb,
head iv him like keg o nails ID,
Mickey, that's dear; the murtherin
vagabondsl LAX at th' way he'
spillin' yer heartb'bleod an pellir
yer ships Faith, iii blow him ii
wild r;,~o~s.ivcaror tn rro~vor
win, an I'll be iJs live =
Bat Mickey only laughed. He lik
ed q goat of spirit, he said, and 6
he washed his wounds and seatc,
himself before tho fire TO mend hi
trousers, lie being mighty hand
wild TIA nGdle, as Mrs. O'Brion NOR
than once Mrs. Finn resumed he
vigil beside her sick husband. an,
Mickey dropped asleegrir the ohai
with bis feet GU tho stone hearth.
AT IL o'clock MIR. Finn calle,
ieebly for water, aud when he hat
cooled his parched tongue Mrs. Fin,
parted the curtain and looked ou
uron the night. The wind had veer,
cd and the rain was frozen into sno "
The fakes flew against the pane
melted, leaving little wet trails be-
hind them as they ran downward
The shutters began to bang and th,
frail door to groau ou it's hingest a.
the shoulder of the storm heayet
against it. AS the gale increased
The snow forced its way beneath th,
door and formed into little drift
upon the floor. Tho invisible fin.
gers OF the'wind tore brick from
the chimney top and dashed it rat
tlihg down the loose shingles. Littl,
Mike awoke with start and Joined
his mother in the sick room.
She was kneeling tefore q crucifi,
at the head of the bod in prayer
As the wind rose higher and higher
the shanty rocked on it's founda ton
Mingled with the bowling of the
tempest was the plaintive ma-a-a,u
OF the nanny goat in the cellar door
as she tried to regain his freedom.
All through the terrors of the sue
oeeding two hours Mike Finn slept
AT least his wife thought him asleep,
until she touched his feet while ar
ranging the bed clothes, and found
them ns cold as the snow drift upon
the floor.
The storm was forgotten. The
imminent danger of the tho topping
shanty was unheeded. Her husband
was dying. While death was gnash-
ing at them from the outside, that
devoted wife aud son worked to
drive the grim terror from the in.
side. Mickey replenished the fire.
He heaped IL high with wood until
the sparks few out of the chimney
aud mingled with the eddying snow.