Weekly Trinity journal., 1870-08-06
THE BEWITCHED CLOCK.

man leg, enNelopCu IN piuV pIO"uCtot" L"lS az
have been seen entering Cephos Barberry S
kitchen window; the leg was followed finally by
the entire person of a lively Taukee, attired IN
his Sunday go-to-meetin' clothes. it was, IN
short, Joe Mayweed who thus burglarous'y, IN
the dead Of the night won his way into the deaS
cons kitchen.
"Wonder how much the old deacon made by
orderin' me not to darken his door again 2' so
liloquized the young man. Promised him
wouldn't but didn't say uothin about wiuders.
Winders is just MS good as doors if there ain't
no nails to tear your trowscrS onto. Wonder Il
Sal'll come down. The critter promised me.
IN afraid to move here, cause ! might break
my shins over somethn or mother, and wake the
old folks. Cool enough to freeze polar bear
here Oh, here comes Sally ~
The beautiful maiden descended with pleas
ant SMILE, tallow candle and box Of matches
After receiving a rapturous greeting, she made
a roaring fire in the cookiug-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'
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 deacon, her
father, shouting from her chamber door
"Sally, what are you getting up in the middle
Of the night for?"
"Teu him it's most morning" whispered Joe.
''I can't tell q 6b, said Sally.
O. I'm make it a truth, them" said Joe, and
running to the huge old-lashioued 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.
"lt's five clock, answered Sally, and cor
ROTATING the words, the clock struck five.
The lovers sat down again and resumed the
conversation. Suddenly the staircase began to
croak.
"Good gracious It's father"
d lV dc
me, SallH
"Whcrc can hide you2 ?" cried the distracted
gih
con, know said he, "In squeeze into
the clock case"
And without another word he concealed him
self in the case and drew the door behind him.
The deacon was dressed, aud sitting himself
down by the cookiug-stovc pulled out his pipe,
lighted it, and commenced smoking very dolib-
orately ana calmy.
-" Five o'clock, ch?" said he Well, shall
have time to smoke three or four pipes, then II
so and feed the crittcrs,'
Z" Hadn't you better go and feed the critters
first, sir, and smoke afterward'" suggested the
dutiu Sally.
"Noi smokn clears my head and wakes me
up, auswed the deacon who seemed not whit
disposed to hurry his enjoyment.
bGr-r.rr-Whz-z-ding-dng went the
Old clock.
"Tormented lightning /" cried the deacon,
starting up and dropping his pipe ON the stove.
"Whot In creation is thatY
".It's only the clock striking FIVE, " said Sally,
trcmulously.
"whiz ding ding ding 1" went the old
"Powcrs Of mercy" cried the deacon.
"Striking five It's struck hundred already"
''Deacon Barbcrry W cried the deacon bet
ter half who had hastily robcd herself and now
came plungiug down the staircase in the widest
state Of ALARM" g What is the matter Of the
clockY
" Goodness only knows" replied the old man.
" It's been in the family three hundred years
and never did know it u carry on SO before. a"
" Whiz bang bang bang - went the
clock
"ItH burst itsefr' cried the old lady she'd
ding tears, "and there won't be nothing left Of
it,"
"It's bewitehod," cried the deacon, who re-
tanned leayen Of New England superstition in
his nature, Anyhow" he said after pause
advancing rcsoutey toward the clock, "I'll
see what's got into itY'
"Oh, don't cried the daughter, aiectionatey
scizng one Of his coat-tais, while his faithful
wife hung to the other.
"Don't," choruscd both the women together
''Lct 20 my raiment J" shouted the deacon ;
" ] ain afraid Of the powers Of darkness"
But the women would not let so 50 the dea-
con slipped of his coat, and while from the sud
den cessation Of resistance they fell heavily on
the loor he darted forward and laid his hands
on the door of the clock case. But no human
power could open it. Joe was holding it inside
with death grasp. ThA deacon began to get
dreadfully frightened. lie gave one more tug.
An unearthly yell, as Of iend in distress, came
from the inside, and then the clocl-case pitched
head lorenost on the floor, smashed its face and
wrecked its proportions.
The current Of air e&tinguiehed the light the
deacon, the old lady and Sally fed up stairs,
and Joe Mayweed, extracting himself from the
clock, effected his retreat the same way he had
entered. The next day all Appleton was alive
with The story how deacon Barberry's clock had
been bewtched and though many believed its
Version, some, especially Joe Mayweed affected
TO discredit the whole affair, limiting that the
deacon bad been trying the experiment Of tast-
ing frozen cider.
THE subjoned is from a recent number Of the
Downieylle Messenger. 1t shows that rough
amusements still flourish in that locality;
The liyeliest little free fight it has ever beeg
our fortune to witness, occurred in this place on
Sunday last. The belligerent individuals hailed
frafo li erra Ruttaa aud putnf oif,ht "a ta,