Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-04-29
I < v HIS DAD.

.aI WLtL 1LA
The King Pine of Lindslsy's Wood WA
singing an obligato solo. This smaller trees
around him furnished the chorus, but
above the cymbal changing Of the naples
bare branches, above the chestnus's
hoarss complaining. above the creakins
of the oak and the whisper Of the laurel
hush. sounded the voice of the mighty
Fine. the thundsrer. Deep into the hili's
crest had he thrust his foot, now moe
Gained with snow. His fuothold was
firm. When the tempest fmote him hii
hinge body swayed, he tossed his greal
arms against the nights blacknees and
sang his cong Of triumph-a song 90 deep.
90 profound, 60 awful, that the laurel
bush over which he cast o kindly shsdow
in the summer's MONDAY tiembled in
eyery limb and expected to be crushed.
But this Goliath of the woods was
not singing his death song. He
swung back and forth, I, be sure, aud
never before had the Forest Chief
been called upon for such an effort In
natures chorus. But he was equal TO it.
ALI the iibsrs Of his mighty heart were
strained, his clinging toes were loosened
from the rock, his great, swinging,
sinewy arms writhed in agony. But
each pendant, slender needle did double
duty. and when their 1000, 900 rustlipgs
were united, the deep-toned, reverberant
voice of the King Pine was IS the hoarse
thunder of the Sea. II was only at inter
walls that the pine roared. There were
times when his voice was q lullaby, soit
and soothing as that he had sung on sum-
mer 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 thunder tones and
hushit to rest with Ii lullsby. Thea the
great maestro decreed the festival at 40
end. He lashed the winds. He tore the
black clouds into Fragments. He sent down
the silent suubeams to start the sap How
ing in the veins Of the King Pine. Add
he. this Hercules Of the forest, tossed his
green crest and sang low, soothing SYM
phonies.
Scarcely a stones throw from the King
Pine stood the Finn shsnty. When the
great storm came Mr.. FINN was ill OF q
fever. Ga the Sunday night when the
storm beg n, early in the evening Mrs.
Finn had left her husbands bedside and
gone to the back door to look ut the sky.
AS she lifted the latch . gust Of wind
swept around the corner of the house and
dashed a 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. 9TH night
Ia az black rs q drove Nv black hogs, an
III, rains comm down In waeh,ubs full.
Hav' We tn nanny in tn cslla ?"
ono, mother" replied Mickey sleepiIy,
rubbing his eyes and yawnipg, "sbe's out
in her barrel f~orniust th' ince"
"Ah, tn dearn replied Mrs. Finn.
San tn wather peltin her! Shure her
milk'll be all watber in tn mornin'.
Bring her in tn cellar; that's q dear,
where she'll be dhry."
Mrs. Finn had forgotten to mention tho
billy, probably because he had IN tactical
value and possibly on account Of his I'M
dipnifed conduct on q or two memora-
Bile occasions. Bot little Mike didn't for.
get him. After he had rescued The nanny
from her leaky barrel he went lack after
her escort. The elements, howsver, had
not subdued the biily's spirit, and it was
only after half an hour Of despeiste strug-
Cling that the obstinsse old he goat was
locked in the cellar and the lat,h fasten-
ed. Even then he butted the lioor In .
vain effort TO regain his freedom. Mickey's
shins were barked ia the strrggla, his
hands were cut and his trousers torn. Mrs
Finn raised her hands In horror when her
boy returned.
"Arrah, bad luck y that bla,k divvle
aid tn, wicked horns! Fax. diln'tI hear
th, ahillo We LET out whin he ihruv ye
agin the fincel Musha, take th' nx an
bate IN the head iv him like n kag go nsils!
Do, Mickey, thapsa dear; tn ~nmrtherin'
vagabones! Lux at th' way he's spillin'
YER hearts blood an peelin' yer shine!
Faith, I'll blow him up wild miro glycer-
ane tn morrer, 30 / win, an III Be let
liyeIn
But Mickey only laughed. Els liked q
goat Of spirit, he said, sud 80 he washed
his wounds and seated himself before the
fire to mend his trousers, he beinE mighty
handy wild tn nadle,n ~ Mrs. Finn had
told Mrs. 0'Brien moro than oilce. Mrs.
Finn resumed her vigil beside bet sick hus-
band, and Mickey dropped asleep In the
chair with his feet on the stone hearth.
At - O'Clock Mr.. Finn callsi fsebly for
water, and when he had cooled bic parched
tongue Mm. Finn parted the csrtain and
looked ont upon the night. The wiud had
vcered and the rain was ffozsn into snow.
The flakes hsw against the pane and
melted, leaving little " st trails
behind them ss they ran DOWN. ard The
shutters began to bang and the frail door
TO groan on It's hinges IS the shoulder Of
the storm heayed against II. Al the CzIe
increased the spow forced It's Wi beneath
the door and formed into . it'll drift up-
on the floor. The invisible fin,.srs Of the
wind tore q brick from ths chi inner top
and dashed it rafting down The Ioose shin-
giles. Little Mike awoke with d start and
joined his mother in the sick rods n.
She was kneslIDg before . erufifx 1t the
head Of the bed, in prayer. All the wind
rose higher and higher, the shaiIty rocked
its foundation Mingled Will the howl
ing Of the tempest was The ~plaintiye ma-s-a
Of the nanny gost In the esliar aud the
thuds ofthe biIly's head agsinst the cellar
door a he tried to regain his fredpm- All
through the terrors Of the succediug two
bours Mike Finn slept A. IsHt his wife
Thought him asleep until abe 4 uched hi
feet while arranging the bad cabtbes, and
found him IS cold a. tbs snow drift upen
the floor.
The storm was forgotten. The imuf
nent danger of the toppling shsnty Mns