Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-11-29

Mark Twain's wonderful Watch.
Ny beautiful new watch had run
eighteen or nineteen months without
losing or gaining, and without breaking
any part of its machinery or stopping.
bhad come to believe il infallible in its
judgments about the time OF day, and TO
consider its constitution and its anatomy
imperishable. But at last, one night, l
let it run down. grieyed about IT as If
it were recognized messenger and fore
runner of calamity. But by and by |
cheered up, set the watch by guess, and
commanded my bodings and supersti-
tions to depart. Next day | stepped
into the chief jewelers. to set it by the
exact time, and the head of the estab-
lishment took il out of my hand and pro-
ceeded to set IT for me. Then he said:
She is four minutes slow, and the reg
ulator must be pushed up littlci and
SO, while / danced around him in an
guish, and beseeched him to let the
watch alone, he calmly and cruelty did
the shameful deed. My watch began to
gain. 1t gained faster day by day.
Within the week it sickened to raging
fever, and its pulse went up TO hundred
and fifty in the shade. At the end Of
two months il had left all the time
pieces Of the town far in the rear,
and was a fraction over thirteen days
ahead of the almanac. 1t was away
into November enjoying the snow, while
the October leaves we're still turning II
hurried up house-rents, bills payable,
and such things, in such ruinous way
that / could not abide it. took il 70
the matchmaker TO be regulated. He
asked me If had ever had it repaired.
] said no, il had never needed any re-
pairing. He looked a look of vicious
happiness and eagerly pried the watch
open, then put small dice-box into his
eye and peered into the machinery. He
said it wanted cleaning and oiling, be-
sides regulating-come in week. After
being cleaned and oiled and regulated,
my watch slowed down to that degree
that it licked like tOlling bell. be-
gan 10 be left by trains, failed all ap-
pointments, got TO missing my dinner;
my watch strung out three days grace
TO four and let me go 10 protest; | grad
ually driited back into yesterday, then
day before, then into last week, and by
and by the comprehension came upon
me that all solitary and alone / was lin
gering along in week before last, and the
world was out Of sight seemed to de-
tect in myself sort Of sneaking
fellow-fseling for the mummy in
the museum, and desire 10 swap news
with him. went 10 a matchmaker
again. He took the watch all TO pieces
while | waited, and then said the barrel
was swelled" He said he could reduce
it in three days After tins the watch
drerdged well, but nothing more For
half a day ii would go like the very mis-.
chief, and keep up such barking and
wheeling and whooping and sneezinc
aud snoring. that 1 could not hear my
self think for the disturbance; and a,
long as II held out, there was not a watcl
10 the land that stood any chance acains
II. But the rest Of the dayit would keel
on slowing down and footing along unit
all the clocks il had left behind caugh
! up again. SO ailast, at the end Of twenty
four hours, Il would trot up 10 the judges
stand all right and just on time.
5 would show a fair and square average
] and no man could say il had done NOR
! or less than lis dsty. But a eorrec
average y only a mild virtue in a watch
and j took this instrument to anothe
, matchmaker. he said the kingbol
was broken. l said was glad il va
nothing more serious. To tell the plaii
truth, ] had no idea what the kingbol
was, but did not choose 10 appear irno
rant 10 stranger. he repaired III
hngboli, bat what the watch gained il