Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1858-03-18
THE BEWICHED CLOCK.

lag Deacon CephE BHber's kitchen win.
dow. The leg vas followed by the entire
body Of live Yankee, altired 10 bis Sun.
day. .go-to. meeting clothes. 1t was 10 short,
Joe MayWeed, who thus burglariously
won his way into the Descou's kitchen.
Wonder how much the old Deacon
made by orderin' me not to darken bis
door againP soliloQuised the young gentle.
man. Promised him wouldn't, but
dida'tssy nothiR' about winden. Win.
dss is as good Ss doors, Of there amt no
nails TO tear your Lrovsers onto. Wonder
il Sally will come doWh?-the criller prom
ised me. I'm Altered to move about here,
cause l might break my shins over suthin'
or neither, and wake the old folks. Cold
enough 10 freeze a, Polish bear. Oh, here
comes Sally.
Tie beAuteous maiden then descend d
with a pleasant smile, tallow candle, and
box If lucifsr matches. After receiving
arspturous greeting, she made rousing
fire in the cooking stove and the happy
couple sat down to enjoy the sweet inter-
change orhopes and VOWS. But the course
of true love ran not whit smoother in
old BARRIERS kitchen than It does elsewhere,
and Joe, who just making up bis mind to
treat himself to kiss, was startled by the
voice Of the old Deacon, her father, shout.
ing from his chamber:
'Sallyl what are you getting up in the
middle Of the night for?'
Tell him t is most mornin',' whispered
Joe.
4 can't tell him fib,' replied Sally.
I'll made it q truth then, said Joe, and
running to the large old fashioned clock
that stood in the corner, he sat it at FIVE,
'Look at the clock, aud tell me what
time it is, cried the old gentleman.
ITS five BY the clock replied Sally, and
Immediately corrobonting her words the
clock struck five ....
The lovers sat down again and resumed
their conversation. Suddenly the stair
case begun to Greak. Good gracious! it's
father coming down. exclaimed Sally.
The Deacon, cried Joe. Hide me, Sal
", .r.-.
Where can I hide your cried the dis.
trarted girl.
30, know, said he; 'I'll squeeze into
the old clock case And without anoth
e. word, he concealed himself in the case
and closed the door,
The Deacon was dressed, and seating
himself down by the cooking stove, he
pulled out bis pipe, lighted it, and began
deliberately to smoke.
Five O'Clock, eh?' said he. well, l
shall have time to smoke three or four
pipes, aud then III 60 and feed the crit
Gers.'
Hadn't you better feed the critters first 2
suggested the dlLiful Sally.
No, smokn' clears my head and wakes
me up, replied the Deacon who seemed
not whit disposed to hurry bis enjoy.
ment.
Bur-r-r. whiz, ding! ding! went the
old clock.
'Tormen!ed lightningP exclaimed the
Deacon, starting up and laying the pipe on
the stove, what on airth is that?'
It's only the clock striking FIVE, repli-
ed Sally tremuously.
Whiz, ding! ding went the old clock
furiously.
, Power Of croationP cried the Deacon;
'strikin' five, Ell? It's struck over hun
dred already
deacon Barber 7 cIied the deacon's bet
ter half, who had hastily robed herselGand
now came puuging down the staircase in
the widest state of alarm, what in the
universe is the matter with that clockP
'Goodness only knows, replied the old
man, it's been hundred years in the fam
jly and never acted so beforep
Wbiz! ding dingl whiz-z, went the old
clock again.
'It'll bust ITSELF cried the dy,sheddiug
food oftears, and there won't be nothin'
left of it, -.-..-... ..
Its bewitched,' said the deacon, who
retained leayen of good old New England
superstition 10 his nature. 'And now said
be, after pause, advancing resolute'y to-
wards The clock, 'I'll see what is going on
10 it, 1.'l p
,'Oh, don't cried bis daughter. ssizing
one of his coat tails, while his wife chug
to&he other. Don't chorussed both the
woman.
Let go my raiment,' shouted the dea-
con. I amt afreered Of the powers of
Darkness
But the women wouldn't let go, go the
deacon slipped out of his coat. and while
from the sudden cessation ofresistance they
fell heavily on the foor,he pitched forward
and grabbed the knob Of the clock door.
But NC human power could open It, for
Joe was holding it from the inside with a
death grip.
The old deacon began to be dreadfully
frightened. He gave one more tug,when
an unearthly yell. as of fend in distress,
burst from the inside, then the clock case
stitched head foremost at the deacon, fell
headlong on the floor, smashed its face
aud wrecked its fair proportions. The
current of air extinguished the light-the
deacon, the old lady aud Sally fed up
stairs, and Joe Msywsed extricated himself
from the clock, and effected his escape by
the same way he entered. 7sT g
The next day all Appleton wss alive
with the story that Deacon BARRIERS clock
> had been betwiched, aud although many be
lieved his version, yet some, and especially
Joe Mayweed, affected to discredit the
whole affair. and hinted that the deacon
had been irving the axneriment of TASTING