Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-11-19
A YANKEE STORY.

, than from any other source. We fin,
in one of them this ludicrous anecdot
of the "bewitched clock" a.s- I'll
About half past eleven o'clock ol
Sunday night, human leg, envelopec
in blue broadcloth, might have beer
seen entering Deacon Cephas Barberry'
kitchen window. The leg was followed
finally by the entire persou-of iv'
Yankee, attired in his Sunday go to
meet-in clothes, 1t was, in short, Joe
NIaywee who thus burglarously awor
his way into the Deacon's kitchen. =
s'Wonder how much the old Deacor
made by orderin' me not to darken his
doors again ?'' soliloquized the young
igentleman. Promised him wouldn' t
but didn't say nothin about winders.-
Winders is as good as doors of there
amt no nails to tear your trowsers on,
to-. Wonder if Sally'll come down
The critter promised me. I'm Altered
to move about here, "cause [ might
break my shin over something or moth
er and wake the old folks. Cold enough
to freeze Polish boar here. 0, here
comes Sally" ....,. ..-..s ~
The beauteous maid decended with q
pleasant smile, a tallow candle, and a
box of lucifer matches. After receiv-
ing rapturous greeting, she made a
rousing fire in the cooking stove, and
the happy couple sat down to enjoy the
sweet Interchange of VOWS and hopes.
But the course of true love ran not a
whit smoother in old Barberry's kitch-
en- than it does elsewhere, and Joe who
was making up his mind to treat him
self to kiss, was startled by the voice
of the deacon, her father, shouting from
his chamber door: -. It,. ..'.'. u
Sally! what are you getting up in
the middle of the night for?'
s:Tell him its most morning." whis-
pered Joe.
Il can't tell fb, said Sally. "
s'I'I make it truth, then" said Joe;
and running to the huge old fashioned
clock that stood in the corner he set it
at FIVE.
"Look at the clock, and tell me what
time it is, cried the old gentleman
ats five by the clock - said Sally;
and corroborating her words. the clock
struck FIVE. &,''s- g.
The lovers sat down again and re-
Esemed their conversation. Suddenly
the staircase began to creak, "Good
gracious. it's father" exclaimed Sally.
The deacon, by thunder" cried Joe,
'Hide me, Sally!'
"Where can hide you?" cried the
DISTRACTED girl.
80, L know" said he, "I'll squeeze
into the clock case" And without an
other word, he concealed himself in the
case, and closed the door.
The deacon was dressed, and seating
himself down by the cooking stove,
pulled out his pipe, lighted it, and de-
liberately began to smoke.
Give o'clock, Ell? said he. "Well,
I shall have time to smoke three or four
pipes, and then I'll go and feed the
critters. ''7'
Hadn't you better feed the critters
fust?" suggested the dutiful Sally.
''No; smoking clears my head, and
wakes me up" replied the deacon, who
seemed disposed to hurry his enjoy
ment. .a.-. -s ....
Bur-r-r-r-r-whiz- ding! ding ding
went the clock. -.... ..
"Tormented lightningr' cried the
deacon, starting up and dropping his
pipe on the hot stove; "whatn airth's
that?' ...
"It's only the clock striking fve,'' re-
piled Sally tremulously.
Whiz- ding! ding! ding! went the
old clock furiously. ..
s'Power of creation !" cried the dea-
con. 'Strikin' five! it's struck more n
a hundred times already"
Deacon Barberry!" cried the dea-
cons better half, who had hastily robed
herself, and now came plunging down
the staircase in the widest state of
ter with the clock?"
Goodness only knows" replied the
old man, ''it's been hundred years in
the family, and it never carried on SO
afore."
Whiz ding! ding! whiz-z-z! went
the clock again.
"It'll burst itself!'' cried the old la
dy, shedding flood of tears, can there
won't be nothin' left of it.
sIt's bewitched I'' said the deacon,
who retained leaven of good old New
England superstition in his nature
ANY how" said he, after pause, ad-
vancing resolutely toward the clock,
"I'll see what's going on in it. -
"Oh, don't!' cried his daughter, seiz-
ing one of his coat tails, while his wife
clung to the other. "Don'tr chorused
both the women together.
"Lct go my raiment!' shouted the
deacon; Il aint afeered of the powers
of darkness" .... ..-...-.
But the women wouldn't let go, so
the deacon slipped out of his coat, and
while, from the sudden sensation of re-
sistanee, they fell heavily upon the
floor, he pitched forward and seized the
mob of the clock. But no human pow
er could open it, for Joe was holding it
from the inside with death grip.
The old deacon began to be dreadful
ly frightened. He gave one more tug,
when an unearthly yell as of fend in
distress burst from the inside, then the
clock case pitched head foremost at the
deacon, fell head-long on the floor,