Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1838-10-17
THE DISCONNECTED PENDULUM.

/
years in farmers kitchen withou
giving lis owner any cause of com
plant, early one summers morning
before the family was stirring, sudden
ly stopped. Upon this the dial plate
If we may credit the fable-changec
countenance with alarm the hands
made a vain effort to continue their
course the wheels remained motion.
less with surprise, the weights hung
speeches. each member felt disposed
to lay the blame on the others. Al
length the dia! Instituted a formal in
quiry as to the cause of the siagnation,
when hands, wheels, and weights, with
one voice, protested their innocence.
But not faint tick was heard be-
low from the pendulum, who thus
spake: 81 confess myself to be the
sole cause Of the present stopping, and
! am willing, for the general satisiac-
ton, to assign my reasons. The truth
is that am tired of ticking" Upon
hearing this, the old clock became SO
enraged that it was on the very point
of striking.
"Lazy wire!" exclaimed the dial
plate, holding up lis hands. T" Very
good p replied the pendulum. "lt is
vastly easy for you, Mistress Dial, who,
as every body knows, have always set
yourself above met is vastly easy
for you, say, to accuse other people
of laziness-you, who have nothing TO
do oil the days of your life but to stare
people in the face and to amuse your
self. Think, | beseech you, how you
would like to be shut up for life in this
dark closet, and wag backwards and
forwards year after year as do"
"As to that" said the dial, els
there moi window in your house on
purpose for you to look through ~
" For all that" resumed the pendulum.
cit is very dark here and, although
there is window, dare not stop even
for an instant to look at it. Besides,
am really tired of my way of life,
and, if you wish, l'll tell you how /
took this disgust at my employment.
happened this morning to be calcula-
ting how many times should have to
tick in course of only the next twenty
four hours. Perhaps some of you
above there can give the exact sum-"
The minute hand, being quick at
figures, presently replied, EIGHTY thou
sand four hundred times" Exactly
So" replied the pendulum. swell, |
appeal to you all If the very thought
of this was not enough to fatigue one.
And when began to multiply the
strokes of one day by those of months
and years, really it is no wonder If
felt discouraged at the prospect so,
after great deal of reasoning and
hesitation, thinks ] to myself III stop"
The dial could scarcely keep its coun-
tenance during this language, but re-
Stunning its gravity, thus replied -
a" Dear Mr.. Pendulum, | am really as
,onshed that such u useful industrious
person as yourself should have been
overcome by this sudden action. 1t is
true you have done great deal OF
work IN your time-so have we all,
and are likely to do, which, although
it may fatigue us to think Of the ques.
ton is whether it Will fatigue us TO do.
Will you now do me the favor to give
about half dozen strokes to illustrate
my argument p
The pendulum complied, and licked
SIX times in its usual place. Nov" "
resumed the dial, Z" may be allowed
to inquire if that exerton was at all
fatiguing or disagreeable to you T'-
"Not in the least" replied the pendu.
lum. "It is not OF six strokes that !
complain, nor Of sixty, but ofmllllons. "
Very good" replied the dial "but
recollect that though you may think oil
million Of strokes in an instant, you
are required to execute but one, and
that, however often you may hereafter
have to swing, moment VIII always
be given you to SWING IN. ma.
consideration staggers me, confess,
said the pendulum. "Then hope
resumed the dial plate, awe shall all
Immediately return to our duty, for the
maids will lie in bed if we stand idllng
thus"
Upon this the weights, who had never
been accused Of light conduct, used all
their influence in urging him to proceed
when, as with one consent, the wheels
began to turn, the hands began to
move, the pendulum began to swing
and TO its credit licked as loud as ever
while, red beam OF the rising sun
that streamed through hole IN the
kitchen shining full upon the dial plate
ii frightened up as if nothing had beer
| the matter.
] Cruelty to female is the crime oil
monster.