The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-03-08
Mark 3'waiA's Watch,

of It's machinery. or stopping. | had
come to believe it infallihe in its iulp-
ments about the time of day, aud to
consider its constitution and it's anato-
my imperishabie. But at last, one
night, l let it run down. | grieved
about it as if it We're recognized mes
senger and forerunner of calamity
But by-and-by l cheere3 up, set the
watch by guess, and commanded my
holdings and superstitions to depart.
Next day | stepped into the chief
Jewelers. store to set it by the exact
time, and the head of the establishment
took it ont of my hand and proceeded
to set it for me. Then he SAID, "Shc's
four minutes slow regulator wants
pushing up" l tried to stop him
tried to make him understand that
the watch kept perfect time. But no !;
ali this human cabbage could see was
that the watch was four minutes slow,
and the regulator must be pushed up a
little; and so, while danced around
him IN anguish and beseeched him to
let the watch alone, he calmly and cru
ely did the shameful deed.
My watch began to gain. 1t gained
faster and faster day by day. Within
| the week it sickened to a raging fever,
and its pulse went up to Il hundred and
fifty in the shade. At the end of two
months it 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 in Novem-
Der, enjoying the snow, while the Oc-
tober leaves were still turning. 1t
buried up house-rent, bills payable.
and such things, in ruinous way that
| could not abide it.
| took it to the matchmaker to be
regulated. He asked me if | had ever
had it repaired. said no. it had new
er needed any repairing. He looked a
look of vicious happiness, and eagerly
pried the watch open, then put small
dice box iuto his eye and pecred into
its machinery. He said it wanted
cleaning and oiling, besides regulating
come in Il week.
After being cleaned and oiled ant
regulated, my watch slowed down t.
to that degree that it licked like toll
ing. l began to be left by trains;
failed all appointments; got to miss
n ing my dinner; my watch strung on
= three days grace to four, and let me g
: to protest gradually drifted back lii
to yesterday, then day before, then in
: to last week, and by-and-by the com
: prehension came upon me that all soil
tary and alone | was lingering alon!
in week before last, and the world wa
{ out of sight. | seemed to detect il
: myself sort of suealling fellowfeelin
: for the mummy in the Museum, aud
q desire to swap news with him.
/ went to Il matchmaker again. H
took tie watch all to pieces while
: waited, and then said the barrel WA
II "swe.led" He said he could reduce
in three days. After this, the waite
dreraged well, but nothing more. Fu
y Il half it would go like mischief, an
/ keep up such barking and wheezin
e and whooping aud sneezing and snort
" ing that could not hear myself thin
for the disturbance and as long as
held out, there was not watch in th
IL land that stood any chance against il
Bnt the rest of the day it wonld kee
=, on slowly down and fooling until a
- the clocks it had left behind causht u
again. So at last, at the end of twer
p ty-tour hours, it would trot up to til
e judges all right and just on time.
e would show a fair and square average
d and no man could say that it did MOI
l. or less than its duty.
o But correct average is only mil
If virtue in a watch, and ! took this il
D strument 10 another matchmaker. II
a said the kingbolt was broken. l sai
lie / was glad it was nothing more seriou
I'd To tell the plain truth, | had no idt
as what the kingholt was, but / did NJ
" choose to appear ignorant to stral
4 ger He repaired tie kingbolt, b.
a. what the watch gained in one way
rs lost in another. 1t would run awhi
" again, and so on, using its own discr
" ton about the intervals. And ever
I'd time it went off it kicked back like
or musket.
is padded my breast for few day
n but finally took the watch to anoth
If matchmaker. He picked it all
s. pieces, and turned the ruin over III
he over under his glass; and then he sa
I'd there appeared to be something II
ly matter with the hair trigger. He fl
m ed it, and gave it fresh start. 1t d
a. to ten the hands would shut togeth
ne ike Il par ol sClSSVIS, anu ioih VI
tine forth they would travel tosethe
The oldest man in the world cou
~, not make head or tail of the time
W day by such watch, and so | we
n e again to have the thing repaired. TIL
y person said that the crystal had G
~, bent-the handspring wasn't straiSi
ny He also remarked that part OF t
", works needed halfsoling. He MAJ
"a these things all right, and then II
~. time piece performed uuexceptionabl
"s save that now and then, after workil
Us along quietly for nearly eight hou
"a everything inside would let go all OF
~ Il" sudden and begin to buzz like a be
~, and the hands would straightway b
',n gin to spin round and round so IA
~ that their individuality was lost COZ
' y. pletely, and they simply seemed d'
- icate spiders web over the face of t
-. watch She would reel off the lie
sa,a twenty four hours in six or seven mi
u u utes, and then stop with a bang.
IL, / went with q heavy heart to o
'"s more matchmaker, and look CD VIII
NE he took her to pieces. Then l pl
no pared to cross-questioD him rigid
d a. for this thing was getting serious
~. ~. The watch had cost two hundred d.
n "1 lars originally, and l seemed to la
%" paid ont two or three thousand for !
: l.N,,l bad