Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-02-22
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: MICKEY FINN AND !
I THE BUNDLE BEE !
BY Ernest Jarrold. !
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Copyright, 1900. By Doubleday a Mcclure o.,


ey Finn" stories have been read throughout
the entire English speaking world, and
have everywhere been popular. The late
c. A. Dana said Of them: "They contain
the most admirable delineation OF char
acter, together with a rare felicity In the
description Of the woods and fields" The
following story Is taken from one of Mr..
Jarrold's books recently published by
Jamieson-Higgins Co.. Chicago
The air of Cooney Island palpitated
with the fervent heat of day in
July. The hot air radiated up from
the meadows and the dusty road like
heat from furnace. Even the chick
ems sought the shade of friendly
trees, and the locusts lazily chanted
their midsummer threnody as Mickey
Finn came down Murray street with a
tattered geography, worn spelling
book and thumbed first reader I'M
der his arm.
The boys face shone from it's re-
cent application Of soft soap and wa
ter, SO that the freckles stood out
like spots Of brick dust ON either side
of his nose. He had a stone bruise on
one of his toes, and was forced to
walk on one heel. AS he limped along
the roadside, half mile away in the
hazy perspective he could see the lit
tie red schoolhouse in the hollow,
with its monotonous suggestions of:
"Can-the-dog-catch-the-cat? Yes-the-
dog-can-catch-the-cat."
In fancy he heard the dreary tier
alton of the schoolroom, and saw the
blank white walls speckled with pa
per "spit-balls." He 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 to
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 at
home. And so the boy looked cross
and felt ugly towards the distasteful
"eddication," which his mother forced
upon him. AS he limped along the
dusty road, he looked off over the
meadow and saw the naples and
pines in Lindsley's wood whispering
to each other, as they waved in the
breeze which blew fresh and cool
from the Hudson river. These whis-
pers Mickey interpreted as coaxing
invitations, which sounded to him as
follows:
"Come, little Mike, and lie under our
protecting branches! Here you will
find the tender birch bark and the
juicy sassafras root! Upon our
shady hillocks hidden by glossy
green leaves, hide the red winter
green berries awaiting your coming!
The tree toad will sing his little song
for you, the bubbling spring is dis
tilling a sparkling liquor for your
thirsty lips, and the shady coverts Of
our sylvan dells await you'll"
With these enchanting voices in his
ear the temptation to play hockey
was strong one. The tempter Of
men came to him with the liquid
melody Of birds, the soft wooing Of
futtering leaves, the rustic Of the
pines thin fingers, and the gurgle Of
brooks. And as he stood in the dusty
road And looked down into the hol-
low at the sun beating fiercely upon,
the windows of the little red schoS/
house, and realized how sitting w
the air inside, what wonder that N
hesitated
Then the reproachful face of his
mother rose before him. AS littld
Mike loved his mother and feared he
rebuke more than he did her beay
hand, the thought of her grief
PEELED him onward toward the 50
But he could not shut out of his
tai sight the picture Of the cool
adise in the wood where the Il
lake rippled in the sunlight,
where, far below, ran the wide reac
cs of the Hudson river as it loiterd
to the sea. And in this entrance
picture his mothers face was blotti
out as with a sponge from the sla
OF his mind; the schoolhouse was fd'
gotten and he limped eagerly towaf
the stone wall to which chung the ri
otous wild raspberry bushes lads
with fruit. Forgotten was the sol
toe, lost sight Of was the long, blacI
strap hanging on the kitchen wa
and left behind was the dusty roa
and all the suggestions Of work
On arriving at the summit Of
hill little Mike turned in his traI
and looked down upon the schd
house. He saw the master conn
the door and ring the bell, and
schoolmates scamper like corrl
sheep into the building. Then
door was shut and Mickey realii
that his sin was irrevocable.
trembled, too, when he thou
that he would have to make Ct
sion to the priest. But it was
late to retrace his steps. He was
in the narrow path leading to
woods. He took off his tattere;
and the cool fingers Of the
lifted the hair from his forehel
he sat down on the grass a
chipmunk stopped, palpitati
the stone wall, and little Mil
gers itched for his bow-gun.
hiding his books in the stou
and covering them with dead
he began picking and eating
ries until his bronzed cheek
covered with the juices of I'll
The scent of clover blooms ar
grasses made his notrils dilat
while the birds sang for him
the trees the nodding buttercu
daisies shook their heads at hiY
seemed to say;
Little boy, you're playing }
When Mickey entered II
he lay down upon the bro7
at the foot of the pine