The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1876-06-07
The old ClOCkmaker.

Asa Tuttle was an illustration Of
the fact that man is partly response.
BILE for his own conduct and partly
not; and that the boundaries between
responsibility and responsibility are
vague, variable and mysterious.
Every Saturday night he got drunk,
went homo and whipped his wife,
cursed and swore, broke something,
and had to be quelled by the police,
who took him to the calaboose. Next
morning he was sober and repentant,
and was let out. He would then 20
to church, and, after morning service
the pastor would request the elders of
the church to remain a while. Ev-
erybody always knew what that
meant. With many tears, Mr.. Tuttle
would express his deep penitence, and
profess a determination to lead new
life. The pastor and elders would
forgive him, and he would be all
right again till Saturday. He would
teach in the afternoon Sunday school,
take his part in the prayer meeting,
and be to all outward appearance q
most exemplary christian. But Sat.
urday he would fall again. So it
went on year after year.-The officers
Of the church were sorely psrplexed.
There never was man more regular
in his habits, never man who exhib-
tied signs of deeper, more heartfelt
penitence, or promised more faithfully
to amend. A distinguished physician,
on being consulted, gave 1t as his
opinion that the unfortunate man had
become a prey to disease which at
tackled him periodically, causing for
a time an irrestible thirst for liquor,
which being taken, placed the victim
beyond moral responsibility.
On Friday evening Mr.. Tuttle was
sitting alone opposite his work bench.
He had lain down his tools, and was
gazing tnusingly into the street, OBJ
serving the hurrying passsrs by, and
listening to the tramp Of feet on the
pavement. He sat thus while the
dusk gathered and just as the first
street lamp was being lit, he heard
footsteps on the stairs, and then the
opening of the door, and then walk
ing on the floor, and at the same time
the room was illuminated by the glare
of the most brilliant light he had
ever seen, hardly excepting sun light.
A stranger, past middle age, in his
shirt sleeves, with spectacles on his
nose, advance to the work bench, and
sitting down his lantern, began to
handle Tuttle's tools with dexterity
that proved him to be an expert. He
gathered together screwdriver, the
oil and.a pair of pliers. Then tlrn-
ing to Tuttle, who was incapable of
speech or motion, the stranger appear.
ed to use the screw-driver about Tut
dies head, appearing really to be ia.
king screws out of the middle of his
forehead, his temples, and the sides
and back of his head. These screws
he laid on the table, and turning to
Tutile, lifted off the upper half of the
clock. makers skull and sat it down
on the work bencb.-Then adjusting
an eye-glass to one eye. he took up
the oil and pair of pliers, poked a
little about his brain, shook his head
laid down the instruments and started
out, leaving his lantern. Mr.. Tuttle
called out TO him to come back and
| put his skull on again, and though hs
shouted over ard over again, with all
his might the measured tread Of the
footsteps passed on and out, and down
the stairs and died away on the side
walk.
In his distress, Mr.. Tuttle cast his
eyes upward, and at once saw whal
arrested and diverted his attention
In q case were three clocks running
They were made Of precious metall
and precious stones, and glittered and
flashed in the light Of the wonderful
lamp in such q way as to dazzle ant
bewilder him. Looking under tn,
case, he was startled TO perceive {
pair of human eyes gazing straigh
into his own. He found there was 1
face and part OF a body, and the feat
ures seemed very familiar. He sooI
discovered that if he had met q twin
brother the resemblance to himsel
could not have been more exact. In
deed, after little further observation
he found that he was looking into I
mirror, which reflected another miro
behind him and that he was actually
staring into HE own brains, whicl
turned out TO be beautiful system o
clock-work, and therein were quit
different from what he had expected
But then he had never before bee
favored with an opportunity Of seein
the inside of his own skull.
Whether something or somebod
spoke to him, or how Il got into hi
mind, he could not tell. but he wa
able quite clearly to understand tina
- - tho.o oIon1a s.ovar0ad al th