Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-01-13
A YANKEE STORY.


About half-past ! o'clock on Sunday might
human leg, enveloped in blue cloth, mi ght
have been seen entering Deacon Cephrss Bar
berry's kitchen window. The leg was follow ed
finally by the entire person of live Yankee
attired in his Sunday go to- meetin' clothes 1t
was. in short. Joe Mayweed who thus burgla-
riOusly won his way into the deacon's kitchen
WOnder how much the old deacon made by
Orderin me not to darken his door again. So
hloquized the young gentleman. Z" Promised
him L wOuldn {, but didn't say nothin' about
wInders. Ninders is rs good doors. eff there
am no nails to tear your trousers. Wonder
eff Sally III come down? The critter promised
me; III afraid 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. U, here comes Sally
The beauteOus maiden descended, with
pleasant smile, 4 tallOw candle and box of
lucifer matches. After receiving a rapturous
greeting, she made IA 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 Bdrberry's kitchen than it does else
where, anu Joe, who was just making up his
mind to treat himself to a kiss, was startled by
the voice of the deacon, her father, shouting
from his chamber door:
Sally, what ARE you getting up in the mid
die of the night for
Tell him It : most morning whispered oe
- can't tell fb, said Sally
III make 1t 4 truth then, - said Joe; and
running To the huge, old-fashoned clock that
set in the corner. he set ii at five
- Look ut the clock. and tell me what time il
il. cried the old gentleman.
- It's five By the clock. said Sally; and cor
rOb0rating her words, the aid clock struck five
The lovers sat down again and resumed their
cOnyersati0n- Suddenly the staircase began to
creak
:. tioOdy gracious, its father exclaimed
The deacon. by thunder" cried Joe
Hide me, Sally"
Where can hide you cried the distract
cd girl
''Oh, 1 know, said he, '.In squeeze into
the clock case.
And without another word he concealed him
self 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 began deliberately to smoke.
Five clock, eh ," said he. We'll, 1 shall
have time ts smoke three or four pipes and
then I'll go and feed the critters
Hadn't you better feed the critters fust!'
suggested the dutiful Sally
No; smOkin' clears my head, and wakes
me up, replied the old deacon. who seemed
not a whit disposed to hurry his enjoyment.
Bur-r-r-r winding ding ding went the
clock
starting up and dropping his pipe on the stove;
- what n airth's that -
- It's only the clock striking fve,'' replied
Sally, TREMENDOUSLY.
Whin ding ding ding went the old clo;k
furiOusly
Powers of creation" cried the deacon
8 Strikin' five . it's struck more u hundred
times already.
Deacon Bsrberry'' cried the deacon 5 bet
ter half, who had hastily robed herself and
came plungng hastily down the staircase in
ths widest state of alarm, what in the uni
verse is the matter with the clock -
Goodness only knows" replied the o.d
man. - Its been a hundred years in the fam
lily. and il never carried on So afJre
whiz ding ding whi-z-z-z went the old
clock again
It'll bust itself" cried the old lady. she'd
9ing flood Of tears, and there wou't be moth
IN left OF IT,
''It's bewitched,'' said the deacon. who re-
taincd leaven Of good old England supersti-
tIOn IN his nature. Any hpw. said he. after
a pause, advancing resoiutely towards the
el1ek, '' u see what's going on in it"
'' oh. don't, cried his daughter seizing
Of his coat tails. while his wife clung to the
other. Don 1, chOrused both the women
together.
Let go my rliment, shouted the old dea-
cen. - ain Altered Of the powers of dark
ness.
But the women wOuldn I let GO 50 the dea-
con slipped 0Ut OF his coat, and while from the
sudden cessation "f resistance. they fell heavi-
ly upon the hoDr, he pitched forward and seized
the mob Of the clock But no human power
could open it. for Joe was holding il from the
inside with death grip.
The old deacon began to be dreadfullv fri ,ht-
ened lie gave one more tug, when AN un-
earthly yell as a fend in distress hurst from
the inside. then the clock case pitched head
foremost at the deacon. fell heallOng On the
tOOr, smashed its face, and wrecked its fair
proportions. The current Of air extingushed
the lamp-the deacon, the old lady and Sally
heI up stairs and Joe Mayweed, extricating
himself from the clock. effected his escape in
the same way in which he entered
The next day all Appleton was alive with
the story of how Deacon Burberry : clock had
been bewitchcd, and alJhOug gh many believed
his version. yet some, and especially Joe May
weed, affected to di>credit the whole AFFAIR, and
binted that the deacon had been trying the
experiment of tasting frozen cider. ami that
the va2aIlcs Of the clOckca existed only IN a
distempcrcd ina ,ination.
However, the interdict being taken off joe
was allowed 10 resume his courting and won
the assent Of the old people to his union with
Sally by repairing the old clock till il went rs
well ever.