The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-01-19
Love passed BY,


Love passed by.
MICKEY FIIg'S VIOLET.
Out OF the ground at the foot Of the big
pine tree in Lindsley's wood there grew
a violet, Twas after much hesitation
that the flower had pushed It's way up
through the carpet Of brown needles
which covered it, and ut last timidly
showed its head. Every morning a
slanting beam OF sunlight shot through
the branches Of tho big pine and kissed
the purple lips Of tho flower and. drank
up the beads OF dew which nestled in Its
green leaves, After many days Of strug-
Cling the flower began to manufacture its
new spring bonnet, This bonnet was
"wover in looms Of air" and shaped by
the "shuttles Of tho sun" Still, while
this process was going on, the flower
often shrank and trembled us vicious
blast, lingering over from March, chilled
It's tender leaves, But one day, when the
sun wns brighter than usual, the bonnet
opened itself and a subtle perfume came
from it and mingled with the balsauic
odOr OF the pine and the faint breath OF
the honeysuCkle. Twas the eau dc co.
lOgne OF the wood. A dainty bloom was
this, aud coQuettishly did 1t wave upon
its slender stem.
1t seemed as il all the dwellers In the
wood had conspired 10 protect the flower.
A big humble bee was pilferiug sweets
from tho violet one day when q blue
bird flew down and gobbled II up. A
red headed! woodpccker picked up u bug
Which was gnawing away at the ViolGt's
stem. a brown breasted robin tripping
by stopped to look at the flower. A
squirrel fingered on Its way up n ragged
oak, turned to inspect IL, then whislied
out OF sight In foliage. And every day
the stem of the flower grew stronger and
its perfume sweeter.
But acrogs the fields from beyond the
meadows there came one day u destruc.
tive animal which consumed every green
and living thing before it. This was
Mickey Finn's billy goat II happened
TINT the venerable old graybeard had
gnawed the rope which bound him 10 the
stake in Stumpy Field aud had gone on
a little ramble. As he amblGd down the
Old Point road, dragging behind him
about twenty feet Of Clothesline, he
looked every inch Conqueror, and
children hid behind their mothers skirts
and peered out fearfully as he went by.
On arriving at the wood he shifted the
air redOlent OF fresh and growing things.
After cropping tender grasses for awhile
he grew tired OF this ordinary fare and
fed only on dandelion shoots and other
dainties in the wood.
Violet, you are in danger
The goat stood OH the crest OF q ridge,
which ran like great backbone through
the forest. He looked Off from tho river
below him with dreamy expression in
Ills ewes, us II he enjoyed tho scene
Suddenly he turned his head and list
encd. Down tho nisles Of the wood
camc faint "HallOo, Billy, Billy
BillyW
There was moment OF silence, brok
Ell only by the coughing Of the big pine
Then above the voices Of the wood came
the call again, this time nearer by. ThC
hoary and wicked old truant lifted hi
head and uttered q inR.a.a.a OF welcome
Barefooted aud flushed with exercise
Mickey Finn made his appearance. The
most NHeCtionatO relations prevailed be
tween the boy and the goat, which wa
shown by the ardent manner In which
the goat rubbed his head against thu
boys legs. Mickey picked up the ropJ
and the pair started homeward.
beware, Violet.
The way led past the big pine. Al
they went down tho slope OF tic hill thu
goat saw til ough tho leaves the twinkle
Of the Nolets blue cap. He was cage
to sec to reach the flower, but Mickey
held him back with tho rope. Thu
struggling they vent by the flower on {
run. Mickey caught d glimpse 81 thu
violet as ho went by, however, and the
desire for possession seized him.
When the goat had been safely tied Il
n stake again and tho kerosene oil hat
been poured upon the rope by Mickey
10 keep tho gray beard from chewing 1
again, the boy returned after tic flower
He took his mothers fro shovel Will
him and dug II up, Carryingenough cattl
,yi1i, 1hn MIA ~ m uHnIHnI lee nn,,ta ~,
planted II In the front yard and built |
little fence Of sticks around IT, TIT
flower dropped aud faded ior a day o.
two, then II resumed its pristine bright
ness Of hue, all It's exquisite bloom, al
the subtle Odof Of perfume which II ha(
borne In the wood. Every mornlnt
Mickey walercd Il from an old tomatt
can, aud powdered tho Garth around
until the soil was soft and lOamy, 0nl,
tho morning sun was allowed 10 shin
upon the violet, for II midday the no
rays would have blasted tho flower
Under such fostering care the violet bC
came ambitious, and put Out anQlhO
stem, From the ton Of this stem Their
anew another bloom, with q yellow lipAi
I uuu WIN NNlNll lieNNh lulNNN luNu III
pohal velvet. Every morning before h
vent 10 school Mickey kneII oyer III
flower, and bis nOslFils dllaled a. III
pstlumu greeted hls iFeckIsd noe,
Then be covered tbe delicate plant wit
a FOoi Of brown panCt 10 shade II ttni
the noonday heat. All day long n Il
iOlled over bic spelling book and pr
mary geography The picture Of the NOT
ding violet danced on the pages beiol
him. u ohscuFed tho naked Bayages
Fefra del Fuegqi u came between lllt
Mikes eyes and the Cape Of Good Hop
aud with tanialiElng inblsteBcQ Init
iefedWitli the bOysupelllhgnl "nhthsis
IN fact, violetS nodded aFuhly all oyt
bic desk.
Hide, violet
Hut the kerosene evAporaled from u
rope which bound the billy goat, and |
began 10 chew upon II ~ lie had In do!
gone by. lie was In no hurry about u
, 0b apparently, ioF no ohewed VII
palnitAking peFslstenCy, knowing th