The Ripley advertiser. [volume] (Ripley, Miss.) 1843-1897, 1858-01-13
A Yankee Story.

sHou HohA AZ OthCi souiSS' W. h">
in one Of them this ludicrous anecdote
OF the ''bewitched clock"
About half past eleven O'Clock on
Sunday night, a human leg, enveloped
in blue broad-c cloth, might have been
seen entering Deacon Cephas Barber
ry's kitchen window. The leg was
followed, finally, by the entire person
of a live Yankee, attired in his Sun
day-go-to-m meetin' clothes. 1t was, in
short, Joe Mayweed who thus burgla-
riously won his way into the Deacon's
kitchen.
"Wondcr how much the old deacon
made by ordcriu' me not to darken his
door again?' soliloquized the young
gentleman. "Promised him ! would
mt, but didn't say nothin' about win
ders. Winders is as good as doors,
eff there aint no nails to tear your
trowsers onto. Wonder il Sally'll
come down. The crtter promised d
me. I'm Altered to move about here,
cause might break my shns over
something or norther and wake the
old folks. Cold enough to freeze a
Polish bear here. y, here comes
Sally"
The beauteous maid desce ended with
a pleasant smile. tallow candle, and
box Of lucifer matches. After re-
ceiving a rupturous greeting she made
a rousing fire in the cooklns-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 it does else
where, and Joe, who was just making
up his mind to treat himself to kiss
was startled by the voice of the dea
con, her father, shouting from his
chamber door:
"Sally! what are you getting up ir
the middle of the night for?'
"TeIl him it's most morning." whis
pered Joe.
wcan't tell a fib," said Sally.
"Ill make it a truth, then" said Joe
and running to the huge old fashioned
clock that stood in the corner, he Sc
it at five.
Look at the clock, and tell me wha
time it is," cried the old gentleman.
"Its five by the clock" said Sal
and corroborating her words, the clocl
struck five.
The lovers sat down again and re
sumed their conversation. SuddenI.
the star case began to creak. "Goo'
gracious! its father" exclaimed Sally
The deacon, by thunder" erie
Joe. Hide me, Sally?"
"Where can l hide you?" cried tn
distracted girl.
80, | know" said he, "I'll squeez
into the clock case" And wlthou
another word, he concealed himselfi
the case and closed the door.
The deacon was dressed, and seat
ing himself down by the cooking stove
pulled out his pipe, lighted it, and be
gan deliberately to smoke.
Five clock, eh?" said he. "Wel
| shall have time to smoke three q
four pipes, and then Ill 60 and fee
the critters"
Hadn't you better feed the critter
fust?" suggested the dutiful Sally.
"No; smokin' clears my head, AM
wakes me up," replied the deacon
who seemed not a whit disposed
hurry his enjoyment.
But r.rr-r-whiz ding! ding! ding
went the clock. .
"Tormented lightning!' cried tn
F de aeon, starting up and dropping hi
pipe on the stove; what'n airth's that!
"Its only the clock striking five,
replied Sally, trenulously.
Winding! ding! ding! went tn
old clock furiously.
power of creation!' cried the dea
con. "Strikin' FIVE! it's struck NOR
than a hundred times already"
deacon Barberryw cried the det
cons better half, who had hastily re
bed herself, and now came plungin
down the staircase in the widest stat
of alarm, "what in the universe is tn
matter with the clock?"
Goodness only knows" replied tn
, old man, ats been a hundred yeal
/ in the family, and it never carried o
, so afore."
|. Whiz! ding! dingl whiz ~! wer
the clock again.
: "It'Il burst itselfH' cried the old Ia
, Iy, shedding a food Of tears, "an
. there won't be nothin' left Of it!
. "It's bewitched!" said the deacon
who retained a leaven Of good ol
3 New England superstition in his n;
. ture. "Any how" said he, after
/, pause, advancing resolutely toward
. the clock, "Ill see what's going on
/, it,"
"Oh, don't" cried his daughte
seizing one Of his coat tails, while h
!. wife elung to the other. Don't
chorused both the women together.
, Let 60 my raiment!" shouted u
4 deacon; IL amt fecred Of the powe
r of darkness"
!. But the women wouldn't let go;
). deacon slipped out Of his coat, an
n while from the sudden sensation oil Z
IS sistance, they fell heavily upon Il
floor, he pitched forward and seiz'
the mob Of the clock. But no hum'
power could open it, for Joe W
Q holding il from the inside with a dea
;, grip.
y The old deacon began to be drea
=, fully frightened. He gave one mo
~ tug. when an unearthly yell as OF
' fieud in distress, bur-t from the insld
10 nit rhoA he a Al fOl