Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1889-11-29
MICKEY PLAYS HOCKEY.

The air Of COOney Island palpitated
with the fervcnt neat Of a day in July
The hot air radiated up from the mead
Ows and the dusty road like heat from a
furnace. Even the chickens sought the
shade Of friendly trees. and the locus.s
iazily chuntcd their midsummer thren.
Ody M Mickey Finn came down Murray
street with a battered geography. a worn
spelling book and n thumbed first reader
under his arm.
The boys face shone from its recent
application of soft soap and water, 80
that the freckles stood out like spots Of
brick dust on either side OF his nose. He
had n stone bruise on n Of his big toes.
and was forced tO walk on one heel. As
he limped along the roadway. half a
mile away in the hazy perspective he
could see the little red school house in
the hollow. with its monotonous sugges-
tiOns Of; Can the dog catch-the-cat:
es-the-dog-can-catch-the-cat."
In fancy he heard the dreary iteration
Of the school room. and saw the blank
white walls speckled with paper spit.
balls" lie was hot and tired and dusty
and his toe hurt. The truth was. that he
had asked his mother To permit him to
stay away from school. and she refused
70 allow him to do so. Mrs. Firms at
tentiOn had been pathetically drawn to
the sore toe. and she had said that the
injured member would not hurt him ANY
more at school than ut homo. And 40
the boy looked cross and felt ugly to
" ~ .
which his mother forced upon him As
me limped along his discontinued way
ne looked of ever the meadow. and saw
the naples and pines in Lindsey's wood
whispering to each other. as they waved
In the breeze which blew fresh and cool
from the Hudson river. These wills
pers Mickey interpreted as cOaxinR inv
~tations, which sounded 10 him as FOL
lows:
'.Come. little Mike. and lie under on
protecting branches! Here you will find
the tender birch bark and the juicy sas
safras rOOtl Upon u shady hillocks
hidden by glossy green leaves, hide tin
red wintergreen berries awaiting yOul
coming! The tree toad will sing his lit;l'
song for you. the bubbling spring is dis
NlllAllk a hNdi hAiuE lNIubA W. gohA Ai"A
lips. and the shady eoverts of our sylvan
dells await you!'
With these enchanting voices in his Ell
the temptation TO play hockey was
strong one. The tempter Of men cam
70 him with the liquid melody of bird,
the soft wooing OF nuttering leaves, Ill
rustic Of the pines thin fingers. and I'll
Eurgle of brooks. And as he stoo
in the dusty road and looked down I'M
the hollow at the sun beating iiercel
uINn the windows Of the little red soho,
house. and realized how sitting was Il
air inside. what wonder that he hes
tated!
Then the ~reproachful face of his moth'
rose before him. As little Mike love
his mother aud feared lier rebuke MOI
than he did her heavy hand. the though
Of her grief impelled him onward t
ward the school. But he could not sht
out Of his mental sight the picture Of Il
cool paradise in the wood where Il
little lake rippled in the sunlight. an
where. far below. ran the wide reachI
Of the Hudson river as il lOitered 10 q
sea. And IN this enhancing picture II
mothers face was blotted out AZ with
sponge from the slate OF his mind; q
Sch0ol house was forgotten and lac limpt
eagerly up the hillside toward the stoT
wall, % which chung the riOtOus wi.
raspberry bushes laden with frui
Forgotten was the sore toe. lost sight
was the long, black strap hanging on Il
kitchen wall. and left behind was II
dusty road and all the suggestions
work.
On arriving at the summit Of the ii
little Mike turned in his tracks al
looked down upon the school nous
He saw the master come to the door AZ
ring the bell, and his schoolmates scat
per like corralled sheep into the buildin
Then the door wa shut and Mickey r
allied that his Bin was ~irrevOcable. !
lrembled. TOO. when he thought that
would have to make confession Of IL
the priest. But il was too late TO retraI
his steps. He was now in the mario
path leading TO the wood. He took q
his tattered cap and the cool fingers
the breeze lifted the hair from his for
head. As he sat down on the grass
striped %chipmunk stopped. palpilatin
on the stone wall. and little Mixes II
gers itcled for his bow gun. After hi
ing his books in the stone wall and co
nring them with dead leaves he beg;
picking and eating raspberries until :
b'onzed checks were covered with {
iIices Of the fruit. The scent Of clov
blooms and fresh grasses made his nc
tnls dilate. and while the birds sang
him from the trees the nOdding butte
cups and daisies shook their heads
him and seemed 70 say;
Little boy. you're playing bookeyr
When Mickey entered the wood hsl