Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-12-19
Miseella1eons.
THE CLOCK THAT LOVED the LITTLE
GIRL.
III JOHN D. STOCKTON.

The otl clock stood in the corner of the
room. 1t was tall and gaunt and dark
with age; and when the little girl stood
beside it, her curly head did not reach to
its waist. Once it had been gay young
clock, fresh and fine, and had been much
admired for the astonishing accuracy of
its time, and the clear, ringing tones Of its
voice. But that was long before it had
become acquainted with the little girl. 1t
looked to her as old as her grandfather;
it had kept the minutes and hours for the
nights and days of hundred years, and
lis tick-tack now was creaky, and it rang
the hours with tremuous shrillness like
grandfather's voice. People said the old
clock was cracked
But it knew all about the little girl |.
knew exactly when she was born--at half
past five in the morning of the 9th Of
June; and it was sure it was right, for it
had just been regulated by the town clock,
and that being a public official, of course
could never be wrong. Seven times had
it laboriously counted the minute that
brought around again the first of June,
and i'll all that time it had learned to love
the little girl. and had spoken to her in
many voice.
The affection was unknown to the older
people of the household, though, indeed,
they might have suspected it, for the child
was loved by every one, and even the
great house-dog worshipped her. The cat
loved to purr in her lap. If these ami
mails. though utterly incapable of telling
time, could love her, how much more
should such y scientific clock, that knew
A least the ludimcnts of astronomy, and
could tell to an instant just when dinner
ought to be ready. and to whom the cook
constantly appealed tor Information! But,
F, strange 10 say. the secret was never dis
covered by the family. though the little
girl must have known OF the clocks con
slant watchfulnes and kindness. In the
morning. when even the sun was late and
! the sleepy swallows We're just beginning
to tiVitter under the caves, the old clock
would tell the little girl it was time
do this, but few people understand
| have known persons to remain hours in
bed after the clock had distinctly and i'm
phatically urged them to rise. But the
little girl was soon ready. early down the
stairs, and out of the door to feed the
chickens and pigeons, and to give the cat
its milk, and. after her own breakfast, to
brush the dust off the clock with the great
bunch of pcacock's feathers that always
stood in the corner beside it,
The clock repaid this attention by look
Ing at her with II more shining face 1t
lad many pleasures of this kind, but one
oi It's most delightful moments was when
the little girl learned to understand it, 1t
was her grandfather who took her on his
knee and told her to look at the clock.
which stood very still to be examined and
explained. He pointed out to her won.
dering eyes the twelve hours, each IN.
scribed in figures and always in their pla-
ces, and the long minute-hand which went
SO much faster than the short, fat hour
hand, aud told her how each had its duty
to do, never neglecting it, and only meet
ing once each hour to say "How are
you?N and then, right away, "Good-bye.r
He showed her how the bell waited pa
tiently in silence till the long minute hand
had reached the figure of twelve, and how
it then instantly rang the number to which
the hour-hand pointed. 1t was late in the
afternoon then, and through the garden
window the rosy light streamed upon the
white hair and the little curly brown head
while the old clocks face flushed with de-
light. The grandfather pointed to the
sun, surrounded with yelly and purple
clouds, and showed her just how the clock
would look when the sun would sink out
of the sky. And, strange to say, the clock
knew exactly, and the little girl wondered
and grandfather laughed and kissed her,
and soon it became too dark to see the
clock till the lamp was brought in, and
the lesson went on by its light. SO she
learned to understand the old clock, and
it was proud of the little scholar.
do hot ,rrbt 7 Il
defend the clock for doing it, but do
know that it betrayed its duty out of its
love for this little girl. 1t must have
done so, or why was it half an hour slow
when it was time for her to go to school
Did it want her to stay at home and play
with her doll all the merry morning?
Why was it fast when grandfather had
promised to take her to walk ut five, and
its mischievous old face said "Wake him
up before he had half finished his after
noon sleep. 1t had never done such
things before, and it is of no use to excuse
1t by saying il was out of order, for it was
an old clock--a very old clock; and it is
not likely that at its time of life it could
not tell the time.
That might have been the case with q
young clock, without experience, but this
old fellow did it on purpose, out of love
for this little girl and it bore with an I'M
bushing face the accusations and re-
proaoheS OF the cook. Even when grand
father shook his head and looked doubt
fully at the little satchel, it would appear
unconscious of its hands, and its ticking
would seem to say "Let her play. Let
her play" And SO the child would play
till school-tme was long over. And
for this reason the old clock hated
the town clock, with which it had
always before agreed, for the town clock
was strict and stern, and on no account,
not even for the sake of the little children.
would ii be moment wrong. When
consider how heartless town clocks gen.
orally are, feel as if could forgive the
old clock for all its loving irregularities
and good-uatured liberties with the hours.
Indeed, l have myself known moments
when, had found Time sleeping. l would
have stopped the golden sands for ever
I unwiper from, his rlaSs and xyanll h,.a