The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-09

| in half ton Of coal for me and III give you
the big cracker"
The next morning Mickey was busy for
two hours carrying chestnut coal In a nail
keg and dumping it in Casey's cellar. Just
after noon, with a smile covered with coal
dust and bosom full of chuckles, he re-
Ceived His prize.
No grass grew beneath his bare feet as
he ran homeward the precious powder
mine clasped to his bosom. Holding tho
big firecracker aloft as he darted through
the kitchen door, he exclaimed:
Mother have it! Amt it a beauty"
well, l don't see anything about it to
be maxim fuss over" said Mrs. Finn,
who, like most mothers, had no love for
fireworks. Now, don't be bringin' it
nearer to me-" as Mickey ran toward her.
Il don't want to be blown into the middle o.
next week. Throw the dirty thing away I'm
Altered O. me life while you have it in your
hands! Now, don't he goin' near the stove
wild it! Arrah, We little spalpeen, will We
take 1t of the stove? Take it of afore We
blow the roof of the house," and the fright
sned woman ran into the bedroom and
peered through the keyhole.
With the recklessness of boyhood. Mickey
exclaimed, as he lit match and reduced
his mother to Mysteries by pretending to
light the frecracker stem:
"You needn't be Altered, mother. III
nip 1t out afore it goes Off
In this simple fashion the afternoon Of
the Fourth passed away in the Finn house,
hold varied by the boy with occasional
visits to the neighbors, whom he threw into q
panic of fear by pretending to light the big
explosive.
Mrs Murphy and her three children
were gathered around the kitchen table
when Mickey placed the lighted mammoth
in the middle Of the table. Two of the bows
went head first through the window, while
Mrs. Murphy tried TO crawl under the kitchen
stove.
All this excitement afforded the boy a
good deal of delight, but he reserved for the
evening the elimination of his joy. He in
tended to blow his father up as he sat in his
chair on the back stoop..
Mickey thought it would be an inspritins
sight to witness his father flying across the
back yard and blowing up the ground with
his nose. In order that he might have an
audience appropriate 70 so great an occasion
Mickey had spread the news among all the
fifty b US sat on the fence surrounding tho
back yard, MIR. Finn. tired of the excite
ment of the day. had fallen asleep in his
rocking chair on the back stoop, when
Mickey lit the stem of the big cracker and
placed it carefully under his fathers chair.
The moon shone brightly, Illuminating
the grin on every boyish face Every ear
was strained to catch the faint kissing OF
the fuse and every eye intent upon the
sleeping man.
The fuse burned itself out and the silence
and suspense was deepeEed. A minute
passed and another, until Mickey could stand
the strain no longer. He reached down
and lifted the firecracker from beneath the
chair.
As he held it up in the moonlight to ex-
anime it u mosquito lit upon his father,
nose and the old gentleman awoke. Grab
bing the firecracker from his sons hand he
arose and holding II aloft, he said
Boys, there will be no explosion to-
night. I'm sorry to disappoint you. was
afeerd that Mickey might do some harrum
wild that big cracker. so whin he wasn't
lookin' this afternoon took the powder out
of it and filed it wild clay. So, you See
that the show is over. and We may as well
go home and go to bed There'll be no
more explosions only what I'll give Mickey
wild shingle afore l turn in. Good night
to We all Come around some other night
whin there is somethin' dom