The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1889-07-11

1
birds" which in fancy he saw sitting
on the foot of his trundle bed. When
the doctor arrived he felt of the bound
ing pulse and heated brow of the suf-
ferer.
I'm afraid it's case of pneumon-
ia"
'.Newmonya" exclaimed Mrs. Finn,
in horror. "Faith ye're mistakin' wild
all yer larnin'. Thare's no dog afther
bitin' my Mickey. No, no, docther,
dear. Faix yer smart man, so We
are, an DEVILS the wan'll deny it; but
it's not the newmonya, it's not that.
.Arrah, doctor, say it's bad cowled he
has jist, an no moref"
The doctor smiled at Mrs. Finns'
miscenception, but his face became
tender and grave when he looked
| into the anxious mothers face raised
to his. He did not violate the truth
or his skill as physician when he re-
piled:
''That's just what ails him, Mrs.
Finn. He has bad cold and nothing
more"
"Oh. I thought ye were foolin' me,
! docther, dear. Settled in his bones, /
supposeP'
I'm his chest.''
"Ah, ha! in his chest is it? Well.
I'll soon have it out of thare with flax
seed. But, dye know he has some
thing on his moind, dye see, doctherP
His lips is mutterin' an he's that dis
thressed he does be kickin' the nice
warrum hannin' petticoat off the bed,
so he does"
He isn't in love, is hep" joked the
doctor.
mo. It's all about tn little yalla
burds he seen down be Pether Dol
ans. think If he had wan o. thin
he'd be cured entoirely without the
tiaxseed."
In a few minutes the doctor was in
possession of the whole story about
the canaries. He knew that the sight
of one of the feathered songsters
when the boy awoke from his delirium
would do more to hasten his recovery
than any medicine from the mineral
or vegetable kingdom. As he drove
slowly up the Old Point road, thinking
how canary or two could be procured
for the boy. an idea came to him which
seemed like an inspiration. He slap
ped his knees gleefully and laughed
inwardly. as he said, ''It's just the
LnIuS. us Cneap, anu The mOInef anu
boy will be delighted"
Many were the sleepless vigils of
Mrs. Finn at the bedside of ner boy.
Tenderly she soothed his heated brow.
Carefully she watched the cracked
kitchen stove and saw that the room
was kept at the proper temperature.
How exact was she as to the time
for giving him his medicine only a
mother similarly situated can fully ap-
preciate. Many morning did the ell
der Finn go without his breakfast rath-
er than to disturb the fevered slumber-
or. Even the goat seemed subdued
during that critical period. At least
Mrs. Finn thought so, although it was
probably fancy on her part.
The crisis came at last. One morn
ing the light was trying to steal
through a crack in the closed blinds
when the doctor came. He carried a
bird cage in his hand, which was COW
cred with paper. He looked at the
sick boy and told his mother that a
few hours would seal his fate.
While little Mike slept the doctor
stepped on chair and hung the cage
on a nail over the window. The blinds
were open now so that the cage and
its contents would be distinctly visible
from the bed.
Worn with her long siege of sleep
less nights, Mrs. Finn dropped asleep
in her chair, and was awakened by a
feeble chuckle of delight. Raising
her eyes to the bed. they rested on
the wan face of her boy, radiant with
light. He was looking at the cage.
LUX, LUX, mother" he cried, feebly
but excitedly. There's three O. thin
burds from Peter Dolan's-a yalla wan.
an red wan, an a blue wan. Did
you buy thin. mother?"
mo, tn doctor brung thin, lad.
Now, you must go to slape."
The crisis had passed, and little Mike
improved rapidly. When the doctor
came that evening Mrs. Finn met him
at the door with her finger upon her
lip.
As the door of the sick room opened
to the doctor the goat slipped in be-
fore him and nosed around among the
medicine bottles standing on chair
till they all fell upon the floor and
broke. Then Billy contentedly ate
several hundred pellets of aconite and
bella donna, while the boy sat up in bed
and grinned in delight.
''How is hep" said the doctor.
''Shure. he's worth tin dead b'ys,"
said the delighted mother. ut was
tn little burds as did it But amt you
a foine decaiver t. be paintin' little
chicks wild red an blue an yaller paint
an passin' 'em off for canariesl"-
Omaha World.