The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1858-03-26
A YANKEE STORY.


might have been seen entering Deacon ,Caiphas
Barberry's kitchen window. The leg was
followed, finally, by the entire person OF a live
Yankee, attlred 10 his Sunday-go-to .meetin,
clothes. 1t was, in short Joe Mayweed who
thus burg glariously won his way into the Dea-
/, cons kitchen.
s'Wonder how much the old Deacon made
| by orderin' me not TO darken his door again %
sollloquized the young gentleman. aPromised
hlm wouldn't bat | didn't say nothin' about
! winders. WlnderS is good as doors ef there
amt no nails to tear your trousers onto. Won
der Ell Sally will come down ?-1he critteT
promised me. Pm Altered to move about here
cause | might break my shins over somethin' or
mother and wake the old folks. Cold enough
to freeze Polish bear here. O, here comes
Sally"
The beauteous maid descended with a pleas
ant smile, talow candle, and box Of lucifer
matches. After receiving rapturous greeting,
she made rousn' hre 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 whit smoother in
old Barberry's kitchen than il does elswhere,
and Joe, who was just making up his mind TO
treat himself to kiss, was startled by the voice
OF the Deacon, her father, shouting. from the
chamber door
"Sally what are you getting up in the
middle ofthe night for 90
''TelI him it's morning." whispered Joe.
81 can't tell fib, said Sally.
'l'll make it truth, them" said Joe and
running TO the huge old-iashioned clock that
stood in the corner, he set it at FIVE
'Look at the clock and tell me what time
il is" cried the old gentleman.
at is five by the clock," said Sally and
corroborating her words, the clock struck five
The lovers sal down again and resumed their
conversation. Suddenly the stair case began to
creak.
s'Good gracious IFS father" exclaimed
Sally.
aThe Deacon, by thunder !" cried joe
'Hide me, Sally -
"Where can I hide you % cried The distrac-
ted girl.
"Oh, know said be. "Pll squeeze N.Y.
self into the clock case
. Bihqg; aaq!hsr s.2 gqrd be squeezed himself
The Deacon was dressed, and seating him
lfbelore the cooking stove, pulled out his pipe
lighted it, and began deliberately to smoke.
"Five O'Clock, eh % said he. ''Well, shall
have time to smoke three or four pipes and then
III 90 ana IeeO the Critters.
FHadn't you better feed the critters first ~
suggested the dutiful Sally.
'sNo smokin' clears my bead and wakes me
up" said the old Deacon, who seemed not
whit disposed TO hurry his enjoyment.
Bur-whiz-ding ding! ding ding went the
clock.
"Tormented lightning :" cried the Deacon,
starting up and dropping bis pipe on the stove,
"It's only the clock striking fve," returned
Sally TREMENDOUSLY.
Whiz! ding ding ding ding went the
clock turionsIY.
deacon Barberry !" cried the Deacon's wife
who had hastily 7obed herself, and now came
plunging down the staircase in the widest state
of alarm, "what in the great universe is the
matter with the old clock %
ssGoodncss only knows" replied the old man.
ats been hundred years in the family, and
it never carried on SO aiore."
Whiz ding ding whiz-z went the old
clock again.
"I'll bust ITSELF" cried the old lady, she'd
ding a flood of tears, ''and there won't be any,
thing left of il !"
dts bewitched !" said the Deacon, who
retained leaven of good old New England
superstition in his nature. "Any how" said
he, after pause, advancing resolutely towards
the clock, ''I'll see what's going on in it,
"Oh don't'' cried his daughter, seizing one
of the old Deacon's coat tails, while his wife
cung to The other. 'Don't chorused both
of the women together.
s.Let 60 my raiment !" shouted the old Dea-
con. 81 amt Altered OF the powers Of dark
iirss.
But The women wouldn't let 90 so the Dea-
con slipped out of his coat. and while, from the
sudden cessation of resistance, they fell heavily
10 the floor, be pitched forward and seized the
knob of the clock. But 70 human power could
open it, for Joe was holding it on the inside
with death-like grasp.
The old Deacon began 10 be dreadfuliy fright
ened. He gave one more tug, when an unearth-
ly veil as If fiend, in distress, burst from the
inside, then the clok case pitched head foremost
at the Deacon, fell headlong 10 The floor, smash
ed its face, and wrecked its fair proportions
The current of air extinguished the lamp-the
Deacon, the old lady and Sally fled upstairs,
aud Joe Mayweed, extricatng himself from The
mass OF splinters, effected his escape IN The
same way by which he entered
The next day all Appleton was alive with
the story how Deacon Barberry's clock had
been bewiched, and although many believed
his version, some, and especially Joe Mayweed
affected to discredit the whole affair, and hnted
that the Deacon bad been trying the expert
rnent of tasting frozen cider, and that The vasa-
ries of the clock case existed only IN dlstem-
! pered Imagination.
However, the nterdict beiug taken of, Joe
/ was allowed to resume his courting, and won
the assent Of the old people 10 bis union with
Sally, by repairing the clock until IT went as
well as ever