Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-07-22
THE DISCONTINUED PENDU-
LUM.

AN old clock that had stood for fifty years
in farmers kitchen, without giving its own
err any cause of complaint, early one sum-
mer's morning, before the family was stir
ring, suddenly stopped. Upon this, the di-
al-plate (if we may credit the fable) chang
ed countenance with alarm the hands made
a vain effort to continue their course the
wheels remained motionless with SURPRISE
the weights hung as if dead each member
felt disposed to lay the blame on the Others
At length the dial instituted formal inqui-
ny as to the cause of the stagnation, when
hands, wheels, weights, with one voice pro-
tested their innocence.
But now faint tick was heard below
from the pendulum, who thus spoke:
Il confess myself to be the sole cause of
the present stoppage; and l am willing, for
the general satisfaction, to assign my rea-
sons The truth is, that am tired of tick
ing
Upon hearing this, the old clock became
so enraged, that it was on the very point of
striking.
Lazy wirer exclaimed the dial-plate,
holding up its hands.
Very good = replied the pendulum 6 it
is vastly easy for you, Mistress Dial, who
have always, as everybody knows, set your
self up above met is vastly easy for you,
| say, to accuse other people of laziness
you who have had nothing to do all the days
of your life, but to stare people in the face,
and to amuse yourself with watching all
that goes on in the kitchen Think, | be-
seech you, how you would like to be shut up
for life in this dark closet, and to wag back
ward and forward, year after year, as | do
As to that said the dial, is there not a
window in your house, on purpose for you
to look through
For all that resumed the pendulum, it
is very dark here; and although there is a
window, | dare not stop, even for an instant,
to look out at it. Besides, am really tir-
ed of my way of life; and if you wish, I'll
tell you how took this disgust at my en-
ployment happened this morning to be
calculating how many times | should have
to tick in the course of only the next twen-
ty-four hours perhaps some of you, above
there, can give me the exact sum-
The minute-hand being quick at figures,
presently replied:
'Eighty-six thousand four hundred times.
Exactly So replied the pendulum well
| 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 pros
pect so, after great deal of reasoning
and hesitation, thinks | to myself, I'll stop
The dial could scarcely keep its counte-
nance during this harangue; but resumng
its gravity, thus replied
Dear Mr. Pendulum, | am really aston
ished that such 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, al
though it may fatigue us to think of-the
question is, whether it will fatigue us to do.
Would you now do me the favor to give a.
bout half dozen strokes to illustrate my
argument 2
The pendulum complied, and licked six
times in its usual pace.
Now, resumed the dial, may | be al
lowed to inquire, if that exertion was at all
iatiguing or disagreeable to you
Not in the least, replied the pendulum;
{ it is not of six strokes that complain, nor
of sixty, but of millions.
VERY good, replied the dial; but rec
olect that, though you may think of mil
lion strokes in an instant, you are required
to execute but one; and that however often
you may hereafter have to swing, a moment
will always be given you to swing in
Then hope resumed the dial-plate,
'we shall all Immediately return to our du-
ty; for the maids will lie in bed if we stand
idling 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 be-
gan to turn, the hands began to move, the
pendulum began to swing, and, to its credit,
I 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, it frightened us up as if nothing had
been the matter.
H. C...,ax anna do,Uu 10 hraa H..