Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-05-23
MICKEY FINN'S CANARIES.


There were striking indications in the
landscape of Coney Island that spring
had come. The fields were beginning to
blush with, a greeniSh tinge of color and
the brooks were swollen with the melted
snow. Mickey Firms goat was glad.
Mrs. Finnegan's gosIings showed signs of
qualification, and the humble human
dwellers III the locality stood in their
back doors and looked off toward the
south, as if waiting for the advent of
smiling May. A gentle rain was falling
upon the dilapldated roof of Michael
Firms cabin, ana his wife placed wood
en- pail in position in the kitchen to
catch the drip which had been making
it's way through the roof for the past two
hours. Then she proceeded to put the
"praties" in the skillet ready to place or
the fire. The cabbage had to be cut up,
too, and as Mra. Finn busted herself with
the task she remarked:
COB, my; oh, my; isn't it awful rain?
I dunno will il ever sthop! Shure my
Mickeym be dhrownded through an
sorra dhry stitch have t. put an him
whin he comes nome from schOOlm
It occurred to the good woman that she
might find something dry for her boy 70
wear in the old trunk which her husband
had brought from ireland, and which lay
in the only other room which TIE cabin
afforded, and thither Mrs. Finn made her
way. While rummaging in the trunk
many were the relics of days gone by
which she brought to light. Among
these were keepsakes given her by
Mickey's father when they were ''eoort-
in" at home in Ireland many a long
year ago. There was the ribbon he had
given her when he returned from the fair
now faded and worn, but still dear for
the sake of it's memories. A little paper
package contained lock of hair cut from
the head of Mickey's little brother be-
fore they rObed him In his winding sheet
and bore him away to MOntrepOse GENE
terry. Her eyes became humid when she
gazed upon this sad mementG, and har
voice was tenderness itself BE she ex-
claimed:
''Och, och, nae own little darlin'; if ye
warn't dead ye'd be alive now, an would
be tn happy woman. But Gods will be
doner'
just as she had taken her husbands
wedding trousers from the trunk with the
intention Of having them ready for her
boy she was aroused by crashing noise
in the kitchen. Mickey's old gray goat,
finding the good woman absent from the
kitchen, had quietly entered and was re-
calling himself On the head of cabbage
which Mrs. Finn bad cut up but short
time before TO put in the pot along with
the bacon for supper. Breaking in upon
the goats repast with a stOve-lifter in her
hand, Mrs. Finn exolaimed:
'Oh, ye thafe's breed, ye! Ye dirty,
greedy divvle. l deolar' & me goodness
ye'd stale thu hole outlv a flute. Bad
sess + tn bit will ya get this MOTT for
that tricky'
The goat retired very slowly, but when
his horns had been turned away from
her Mrs. Finn materially assisted his
progress with shove. As she was about
10 close the door Mrs. Finn saw Mickey
coming through the rain. With uplifted
hands, with an expression of horror on
her face, Mrs. Finn, said:
"0ch, Mickey, Mickey why did We sthay
ont in that wet rain? Shure ye're soaked
to tn skim, and yen catch ye're death O.
cowld!
While being relieved of his wet clothing
and ROBBED In his fathers trousers and
vest, which gave him the baggy appear
apoe of scare-crow, little Mike told his
mother that on his way home from school
ne had gore TO Peter Dolan's house to
see the canaries.
"But, by tn name of Finn McCool, why
didn't you wait till some sunshiny day ?"
asked Mrs. Finn.
Mother, dear, Oh, mother, if ye only
seen Thin wante ye'd go t see SHIN agin,
rain or shine, so ye would; they're that
90 he
birds that liver ate grass-seed! Pether has
Thin in big csge on tn wall, SO he has,
an, ye has T. git a ladd6her & see thim.
an mother dear, shure they has four
Weeny -weeshy little burds, an covered
wild soft, yalla wool, an they cheep an
cherrup az tn ouid father an mother
for all tn world just like little babies.
An tn ould mother burd does be feedin'
thin little bits O what she
do be atm herself. An tn
Guild father looked at nae
as much as to say that darn't go near
thin. Fax, mother, 10 like to have wan
o. thin little burds, but 1 can't earn any
more money wild my scroll saw because
it's bruk. Psther put me up On tn
laddher to look at thim, an when was
up tn divvle says t me, Mickey, ply
don't YOU stbale wan o. thin little valIa
burds?' An dye know, mother, that me
fingers was itchin' to git hold O. one o
thin! But l says me little prayer, an
tn divvle went AVA, so he did. Mother
dear, would ye buy me wan o thin little
burds?"
The boys eyes sought his mothers
face With such gaze of wistful entreaty
that her heart was touched and she re-
piled:
"Arrah, darlint, asthroe, can't buy u
wan now, but wait till we sell the chicken 5
an I'll try thin"
When little Mike drew near to the stove
snd huddled down close to the CRATE
trying to get warm, and afterward h
could eat no supper, his mother knew
that something vas wrong. Placing he
hand upon her boys shoulder she said:
"Asthore, macree, what ails yer"
"Mother, dear, little Mike answered
"f'm eery cowld, an me heads akin'-bu
the little yalla burds, mother! If &c oni,
seen thin! Dear, dear, but me back ha
tn toothache, lis akin me that hard
They feeds 'em wha.e an oats an brea
crumbs. Oh, dear! oh, dear! me head
Dustin, so ties! I'm sheverin' an can
get uarrum. Shure. if l had wan o. thin
yalla -"