The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-04-15
nae REWIrCHED ULOCK.

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| Sunday night a human leg, enveloped
in blue broadcloth, might have been
seen entering Cephas Barberry' kit.
chen window The leg was followed
finally by the entire person of a live
ly Yankee, attired in his Sunday 90
to-meetin' clothes. 1t was, in short,
Joe Mayweed who thus burglariously
in the dead of night, won his way in
to the deacon's kitchen.
''Wonder how much the old deacon
made by orderin' me not to darken
his door again?" solilequized the
young man. Promised him
wouldn't, but didn't say nothin' about
winders. Winders is just as good as
doors, If there amt no nails to tear
your trowsers onto. Wonder if Sail
come down. The critter promised
me. I'm afraid to move here, cause
l might break my shins over sum
thin or mother, and wake the old
folks. Cold enough to freeze polar
bear here. Oh, here comes Sally"
The beautiful maiden descended
with a pleasant smile, a tallow candle
and a box of matches.
After receiving a rapturous greet
ing, she made up roaring fire in the
cooking stove, and the happy couple
sat down to enjoy the. sweet inter-
change of views and hopes. But the
course of true love ran no smoother
in old Barberry's kitchen than it did
elsewhere, and Joe, who was making
up his mind TO treat himself to a kiss,
was startled by the voice of the dea-
con, her father, shouting from her
chamber door:
"SaIly, what are you getting up in
the middle of the night for?'
"Tell him it's most morning."
whispered Joe.
i can't tell u fib, said Sally.
"I'H make it a truth. then said
Joe, and running to the huge old
fashioned clock that stood in the
corner, he set it at five.
Look at the clock and tell me what
time it is,'' cried the old gentleman
up stairs.
''It's five by the clock" answered
Sally, and corroborating the words,
the clock struck five.
The lovers sat down again and re-
sumed the conversation. Suddenly
the staircase began to creak.
"Good gracious! it's father"
"The deacon, by thunderr' cried
Joe; "hide me, Salm
"Where can 1 hide you?" cried the
distracted girl.
"Oh, l know" said he, I'll squeeze
into the clockcase. .
And without another word he con-
cealed himself in the case and drew
the door behind him.
The deacon was dressed, and, sit
ting himself down by the cooking
stove, pulled out his pipe, lighted It,
and commenced smoking very deib
erately and calmly.
Five o'clock, eh?n said he. swell,
I shall have time to smoke three or.
four pipes; then I'll go and feed the
critters"
Hadn't you better 90 and feed the
critters first, sir, and smoke after
ward?" suggested the dutiful Sally.
NO; smokin' clears my head and
wakes me up" answered the deacon,
who seemed not a whit disposed to
hurry his enjoyment.
Observation-Disclosures!
went the clock,
Torment lightning" cried the
deacon, starting up and dropping his
pipe on the stove. "What in creation
is thaty'
"It's only the clock striking five,
said Sally tremulOusly.
Whiz! ding! ding! ding! went the
old clock fUriously.
"Powers of mercym cried the dea-
con. striking five! It's struck a
hundred already"
'Deacon Barberryr' cried the dea-
cons better halt, who had hastily
robed herselGand now came plunging
down the staircase in the widest state
Of alarm, "What is the matter of the
clockT'
Goodness only knows replied
the old man. Its been in the fam
lily these hundred years, and never
did 1 know it to carry on so before.
Whiz! bang! bang! bang. went the
clock.
~It'n burst itselfp cried the old
lady, shedding a flood of tears, "and
there won't be nothing left Of it."
"Its bewitched," said the deacon,
who retained a leayen Of New Eng
land superstition in his nature.
Anyhow" he said, after a pause, adj
Yancing resolutely toward the clock,
'Tu see what's got into it,
ooh, don't" cried the daughter,
afectionately seizing one Of his coat
tails, while his faithful wife hung to
the other.
Dom" chorused the women to-
gether,
'Let go my raimentr shouted the
deacon; ~ amt afraid of the powers
of darkness"
But the women would not let go;
so the deacon slipped off his coat, and
while from the sudden cessation Of
resistance, they fell heavily on the |
floor, he darted forward and laid his
hand on the door Of the clock-case.
But no human power could open it.
Joe was holding it inside with a |
death-grasp. The deacon began to
be dreadfulIy frightened. He gave |
one more tug. An unearthly yell, as
of fiend in distress, came from the
inside, and then the clock-case pitch
ed head foremost on the floor, smash |
ed its face and wretched its proper
tions.
The current Of air extinguished |
the light, the deacon, the old lady and
Sally fed up stairs,a and Joe Mayweed, |
extricating himself from the clock,
effected his retreat in the same way
that he had entered. The next day
all Appleton was alive with the story |
of how deacon Barberry's clock had
been bewitched; and though many !
believed its version, some, and espe
cially Joe Mavweed, affected to dis
credit the whole affair, limiting that
the deacon had been trying the eX-
pertinent of tasting frozen cider, and