Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-01-19
N. o. WALLACE, ]
Mark Twain's Watch.

ing or gaining, and without break.
ing any of its machinery or stop.
ping. | had come to believe it
iniallible in its judgment about
the time OF day, and to consider
its constitution and its anatomy
imperishable. But at. last one
night | let it ran down. Ierievtd d
about it as if it were a rec osnized
messenger and forerunuer of ca
lamity. But by and by cheered
up, set the watch by guess and
commanded my boding and su-
perstillons to depart. Next day
| stepped into the chief jewelers.
to set i! by the exact lime, and
the head Of the establishment
took it out of my hand and pro
ceeded to seFit tor me. Then he
said, "She is four minutes slow !;
regulator wants pushing up" /
tried to stop hirn-tried to make
him understand that the watch
kept perfect time. Bat no; all
this human cabbage could see
was that the watch was four min.
utes slow, and the regulator must
be pushed up a lite; and 80,
while l danced around him in
anguish, and bcseeched him 10
let the watch alone, he calmly
and cruelty did the shameful deed.
My watch began to gain. 1t
gained faster and faster day by
day. Within tie weekil sickened
to raging fever, aud its pulse
went up 10 a hundred and fifty In
the shade. At the end of two
months it had left all the time
pieces in the town far in the rear
and was in q fraction of thiriee n
days ahead of the almanac. Il
Syas away into November er joy-
ing the snow, while the Octobtr
leaves were still turning. 1t hur
rled up house rent, bills payable
and such things. in such q ruInous
way that | could not abide it. |
took it TO the matchmaker to lie
regulated. lie asked me if | tad
ever had it repaired. | said no,
1T had never needt d amy II pairing.
He looked a look of vicious hap
piness, and eagerly rri,d the
watch opened, then put small
box into his eye and reered into
Its machinery. He said it wan
ted cleaning and oiling, besides
regula,ing-oome in week -
After being cleared and oilipg,
besides regulated, my watch
slowed down to that degree that
it ticked like tollng bell. / be,
gan TO be left by tIains; ! failed
all appointments; | got to miss,
ing my dinner; my watch strung
out three days grace to four, and
let me 60 to protest | gradually
dr.fted back into last week, and
by and by the comprehension
came upon me that all solitary and
alone was lingering along in
wees before last. ard the world
was out of sight. ! seemed to de
tect in myself sort of fellow feel.
ing for the mummy in the muse
um, and a desire to swap news
with him. ] went to the watch
maker again. He took the watch
all to pieces while | waited, and
then said the barrel was&'swelled "
He said be could reduce it in three
days. After this the watch aver
aeed well but nothing more
For half day il would go like
the very mischief, and keep up
such a barking and wheeling and
whooping and sneesing aud snort
ling, that Icould not hear myself
think for the disturbance, and as
long as it held out, there was not
watch in the land that stood
any chance against it. But the
rest Of the day it would keep on
slowing down and fooling along
until all the clocks it had left be;
hind caught up again.
! So at last at the end of TWEEN
ty.iour hours, it would trot up &c
the judges stand all right and Just
on time. 1t would show a far aud
square average, and no man
could say that it done more OF
less than its duty. But a correct
average is only a mild virtue in q
watch, and took this Instrument
to another wa,cLmak,r. lie saic
the kingbolt was broken. | saic
was glad il was nothing more
serious. To tell the plain truth
lad no idea v hat the kingbol
was, but | did not choose to ap
pear ignorant to stranger. liz
repaired the kingbolt, but wha'
The watch gained in ole way i
lost in another. II would ruI
awhile and then stop awhile anc
then run awhile again and SO on