Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1858-02-16
AYankse Story.

The funny columns in the English papers de-
rive more of thir items smiles from the /
journals of this country than from any other
We find IN one of them his Iudrlcou5
aaecdote of the =. bewiiched clock.
About half past eleven o'clock on Sunday
u ght, a human leg. enveloped IN blue broad
cloth, might have been seen entering Deacon
Cephas BARRIERS kitchen window. The leg was
followed By the entire body OF live Yankee,
attIred IN his Sunday go-to-meetlng clothes
1t was, In short, Joe Mayweed. who thus burg
lariously won his way into the Deacons kitchen.
Wonder how much the old Deacon made by
erderin me not TO darken his door again?" sol
ifoquized the young gentleman. =" Promised
him | wouldn't. but | didn't say nothin' about
w.lders. Winders IS as good as doors, sf there
amt no nails to tear your trowsers onto. Won
der if Sally II coae down ?-the cr.,ter PROM
lsed me, / m afeerd to move about here, cause |
might break my shIns sunthin or mother,
and wake the old folks Cold enough to freeze
Polish bear here oh, here comes Sally"
The beauteous maid then descended with
pleasant smile, tallow candle and box oflu-
offer matches After receiving a rapturous
greeting, she made a rousIng fire in the cook
Ing 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 Barbers kitchen than it does
elsewhere. and Joe who was just making p uis
mind TO treat himself 20 a kiss was startled bv
the voice the deacon, her fathe~, shouting from
his chamber door:
:" Sally whaS are you getting up in the mid
die OF the night for 2
:. Tell him it's most mornin'," whispered Joe.
q | cant tell him fid," replied Sally.
IL make IT truth, them said Joe; and
running to the large old fashioned clock that
stood IN the corner he sat ii at five.
Look at the clock and tell me what time K
Is" cried the old gentleman
.Its i've by the clock" said Sally and co.
1oborating her words, the clock struck five
The lovers sat down again and resumed their
conversation. Suddenly the staircase began 10
creak. . Good gracious it's father coming
down" exclaimed Sally.
THE deacon, by thunder :" cried oe. Hide
me-, Sally"
Where car 1 hide you? ?" cried the distract
ed girl
90, know" said he "I'Il squeeze into the
clock case" And without another word, he
concealed himself IN the case and closed the
door.
The deacon was dressed. and seating himself
down by the cooking-stoye, he pulled out his
pipe, lighted It, and began deliberately to
smoke
$ Five o'clock. Ell r. said he. "Well, I shal.
have time to smoke three or four pipes, and then
I'll go and feed the critters"
s. Hadn't you better iced the critters fust p
suggested the dutiful sally.
. No, sm3kin' clears my head and wakes me
Up" replied the deacon. who seemed not a whit
disposed to hurry his enjoyment.
Bur-r-r. whiz, ding ding ding went the
old clock
Tormented lightingln exclaimed the deacon
starting up and laying his pipe on tne stove !;
what alrth Is that
Its only the clock striking FIVE" replied
Sally TREMENDOUSLY.
Whlz. ding ding! ding went the old clock
furiousiy.
Power of creation = cried the deacon /;
strikin five +? it struck over hundred already"
Deacon Barber p cried the deacon better
half who had hastily robed herself, and now
came p!unging down the staircase III the wild
est state otalarm, a. what IN the universe Is the
matter with that clock =
Goodness only knows" replied the old man.
Its been hundred years IN the family, and
never acted so 3.ore.
Whzl ding ding ding whiz-z-z went
It'll bust itself !" cried the old Iady, she'd
ding flood of tears, :" and there won't be no.
thin left of It."
It's bewitched. said the deacon who retain
ed a leaven of good old New England supe-stl-
ton In his nature. " And now sa 4 he, after
pause. advancing resolutely towards tie clock,
III see what ) going on III It..
Oh, don't" cried his daughter, selling ore
of his coat tails. while his wife CLING % the
other. . Don . choruSed both the wOmea to-
ge,he-
:. Let 90 my rament," shouted the deacon al
ANT afcerd o. the powers OF darkness
But the women wouldn't let 20. 50 The deacon
slipped out OF his coat, and Wine from the SUD
den cessation persistence they fell heavily OF
the floor. he p..ched forward ADD sc zcd the 10 o
of the clock. But no human power coed cpel
1t. Tor Joe was holding it from the iusiLe WIKI 4
death grip.
The old deacon began to be dreadfully freight
cned. He gave one moge tug When al uuear,h-
ly yell, as of lend In distress, burst from the
inside, then the clock case pitched head FORE
most at the deacon. fell headloEg the floor,
smashed It's face and wrecked its fair pro 1ortIuus
The current OF the air eNtInguIslcd the light
the deacon. the old lady, and Sally hed up
stairs. and Joe Mayweed extricted himself from
the clock, effected his escape the same way lie
entered
The next day all Appleton was alive with The
story that Deacon BARRIERS clock hss been be-
witched. and although many believed his ver-
sion. yet some. and especially Joe Mayweed
affected to discredit the whole aliaIr, and limited
that the deacon had been irving tn experiment
OF tasting fIoen cider and that the vs.sra.5es of
The clock case existed only IN his distempe.ed
Imagination.
However. the -aterdct being taken eff Joe
was allowed 10 resume his counting, and won
the assent Of the old people to his union with
Sally, by repairing the old clock TIL Il went Is
well as ever.