Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1852-06-04
THE DEVILS CLOCK.
BY THE AUTHOR OF A MARRIAGE on THE EVE OF BAT

l2,oUo inhabitants. Ike oprepare my read
ers with tolerabe idea Of the locality wherein
the events narrated transpire-ior then NAV
hope TO impress them with the idea a two fold
sympathy in my dramatic persona. The street
in which Herr Bomgarten had his residence, was
among the oldest in the town aforesaid, and his
residence Oldest init. He was himself, also, a
high dried piece of antiquity, usually enveloped
in cloud of smoke from sunrise to sunset, ex-
cept only when his fair daughter sat beside him
at their evening meal and talked over the affairs
of the day. On such occasions he would mar
rate incidents in his through life, and
dwell upon acquiring the independence which
they then enjoyed. He had one passion in ex.
cess-an intense love of music and had at one
time been no mean proficient on the violin AT
the festivals held periodically in all the principal
German towns, his judgement was appealed to
and indeed, no meeting of the kind was consider
ed complete if he, by any chance, We're absent.
1t may therefore naturally be inferred that his
daughter had early been instructed in the ele-
ments of the art; and at nineteen she was a pi-
anste of considerable attainments. These cir
cumstances formed the basis of desire which
became stronger with its years, and which con-
firmed a resolve that she would wed one of the
most accomplished musicians ofthe age They
say that when all other passions die, ambition
survives, and acquires force proportional to its
solitariness and singleness of aim. Certainly il
is, that out of the many suitors whom the beau.
ty and genteness or the disposition of Azaa al
tracted to the domicil of Herr Bomgarten, not
one $50 scrupulous was he on the score of mu-
steal perfection) was permitted by him to con-
tinue his visits. Anxiety for the fufllment of
hope being usually in proportion to its strength,
her sire, as the Young lady approached twenty
TO Il -, 1, "a,
not see her settled. This preyed upon his spr-
It's deeply, and urged him to publish, as widely
as possible his intentions. To that end he invit-
ed to his house. on a certain day all of the class
musical who chose to compete for his daughter
declaring that at midnight he would decide
on the claims OF the asprants. Now it is nee
essary | should inform my readers that in the
grand apartment of Herr Bongarten's mansion
there was piece Of furniture supposed to have
been fabricated by a Hungarian magician and
which exhibited so much OF apparent willfulness
that it had been denominated by common con.
sent the Devils Clock.
This time-keeping edifice struck all manner
of hours in all manner of ways; but whatever
might be its vagaries, was always true to the
solemn "tWelve" at midnight; so that Her,
Bomgarten not without reason fixed upon that
hour to decide his long cherished scheme.
The day at length arrived, and it may be i'm
agined, that not little preparation had been
made. The piano forte Gone of Korner's latest
improvements was placed under a mirror of i'm
mense size, and exactly opposite to the Qatal)
clock.
Azaa was dressed in HOLIDAY suit, and look.
ed lovlier than usual and, from this circumstance
her father augured a proposition finale AT
about eight o'clock in the evening the uitors
was assembled; and the players who ventured
to offer themselves as competitors for so beauti-
ful and so rich prize, were four in number
| They seVerally sat down to the instrument and
each appeared, more than his predecessor, to as
tonlsh the audience; andi was generally imag-
ined thatthe last performer would be entitled to be
come the fair girls husband. But ere Herr Bonn
gaIten had quite resolved in his own mind the
exact merits of each candidate, another stood
beside the instrument and rather by. signs than
words, indicated that he, too, must tly his skill
The guests seemed extremely puzzled at this
singular apparition for up to that moment the
gentleman had not been observed in the room at
all One or two persons, indeed, declare that he
had actually stepped from the clock case as the
last player of the four had concluded his Fan
tasia Be it as it may, he sat down to the pi-
anO, and produced-but it is wholly impossible
to describe the sensation. He now withered NJ
the heart with the intensity of his pathos; and
again enchanted the soul with multtudinous i'm
az of delight. Then would he pour over the
Imagination a storm of harmonies that exalted
it almost to frenzy and anon subdued it to the
placdity of childhood. He was the man yet
who was he ? The question was fearful one
He was handsome-his aspect was sngularly
wild and melancholy. He executed with mar
vcllous ease, but his mind appeared Cudging
from his eye) to be wandering over fields OF
thought remote from that in when he was en-
gagged. He rose. Herr Bomgarten sprang from
his seat and would have embraced him, but was
repealed by his peculiarly of mien. Few min
utes had he 10 decide. for midnight was at hand
As to the pretty AZalla, she wore no expression
save only that Of extreme palor and of internal
agtation but when the stranger, as the clock
struck twelve" touched her hand to depart, she
rose at once, and without apparent reluctance.
The most surprising part of the whole business
was this, that the stranger, holding the hand OF
the young lady, proceeded at once TO the Devils
Clock, and giving one melancholy glance at the
company, touched spring and retired within its
case.
As the door closed on the fatal couple muir
mul OfhorrOr ran through the assembled guests.
The unhappy father was so affected that he faint
ed away, and as sensation returned, declared
tDdl he TepeHtCu nun SfTClJ OF having, as IL were
nterfered with the DEGREES of Providence
"Ah :" he exclaimed, "woud that had select
ed some honest youth among our npighbors for
her husband Carl Won Muller, for instance
who loved her dearly and was beloved in re-
turn, and whom | drove from the house" -
Scarcely had he made this avowal when the clock
case again opened, and the stranger stepped
from it, and in a scpulchura voce, "If your
daughter, 0 man Of ambitious views. were now
married TO Carl Won Muller Il would would y
exclaimed the old man sobbing. "Then," ex-
claimed the appartOn, "come forth, We happy
pair" At these words the door of the room op-
ened, and Carl Won Muller and his lovely bride
entered, approached the master of the house and
knct at his feet. "Now,' said the stranger, "let
me turn this gloom into merrment. My name
is Mendelssohn, the composer; have just re-
turned from Italy; | am the bosom friend OF Carl
Won Muller that clock has a communication
with the church Of St. Rogue; (the cholristers
who always set it right at twelve at night, from
superstitous feeling, play a variety of tricks
wilt By day.; and | have been the means Of
doing an act of friendship and justice. As to the
moral-but no we will think of that some 9TH
or time for now II behooves US solely to be JOY
ous-and a merrier, a happier evening, was new
err spent in the good old town of HerFinghuu-
sen.
That apt remarker, Pr. franklin Observed
THAT the eyes of other people are the ruin Of
u. If all bot myself were blind, should want
neither fine clothes fine horses nor fuo furni.