The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-12-08
Old TioNer's Proclamation,

They were young people just starting
in lile-Edward Dale and his wife
Mary their home one of the snuggest
little nests in the popuouS town OF
W. Halt modern, hal, quaint IN its
odd combination OF easy chairs and
lounges aud book laden tables, with
here and there a higi-back chair and
setIee that belonged to a bygone gener-
alton.
Mrs. Dale was indefatigable in her
search for "relics." She came OF good
Old New England family; so, by the right
of inheritance, her taste ior these "blts
| OF the pasV was quite warranted.
But though she was well satisfied with
her possessions, one desire she had un-
fulfilled. can old clockl-a veritaOle
| old clock that counted time for our fore
| fathers. On! how l want one" the
bright little woman would say, as sue
pointed out to her smiling husband the
very alcuve that seemed made tor a tall :,
great, round, friendly laced clock; "and
Lnen, It's loud tick" Mary Dale was
wont to add, "wOul0 be such company
| in the house, when you are away, e l.
ward" and caressingly she pIedded:
"DO let us buy dear old CLOCK to ring
in for Us The hours that are making up
these happy days OF our lives;" and
gaily the young wife repeatea:
"Oh precious hours, o golden prime,
| AID afluence Of love and time,
Even as Il miser counts his gold,
| Those hours the ancient imeplece told"
| And, happy little woman, she never
thought, those days, of the after-part OF
Tie poets song. Well, it was better so
better that, in the morning OF life, as
| in the morning OF the day, sunshine
| should rule.
1t was after one of these talks that
| Edward Dale told his wife, if, for a mod
crate sum, she could find an old CLOCK,
she might make the purchase without
consulting him. Thus it happened, be-
fore noon OF the following day, Mrs.
Dale's graceful little figure was fitting
in and out like bird from furniture
warehouses and secondhand dealers.
Isaac Prindle's was the last place she
sought, dingy shop, crowded with d
motley collection Of valuable and value.
less articles; and 10! in the darkest OF
all the dark corners, covered with dust,
festooned with cobwebs, half hidden by
d huge chest of drawers, Mrs. Dale spled
the coveted possession.
"Old! Yes, reckon it's been 9 count
ing time well nigh hundred years."
Isaac replied, to Mrs. Dale's eager in
oulry: "Is it very old; and do you know
us his tory: 2" adding; There be niSto-
nv. that's a fact. Tnat Ter timeplece be
old; We see, l coined Dy it in this fashion:
When old squire Rltters house was
pulled down, coupe OF years back,
| said the SQulre's sOn-Aim THAT'S Squire
InoW-says he TO me, 'TAere's lots OF
rubbish slowed away in the garret,
reckon; take it, Isaac, for what Twill
fetch.' He never had no notion, the
- n
Ye see there was trouble when he Went
out of it-sore trouble. The story was
| lest this: the Squire's son was u head
strong lad, and high words was them
thot passed atwlXt the Squire and him,
| high words and hitter, WIN which the y
parted never to meet agin in this Ter
| world. Folks do say the Squire and the
| Suuire's wife torgaVe the lad
and there was sume talk of let.
| ter that was writ a.bidden' him come
home, and let bygones be bygones, but
never word OF sich letter did the lad
| receive, agcordin' to his own account;
and never did he put foot in that IRE
! house, never in this Ter town, for that
matter, till the old squire and his good
woman had been sleeping i'll the grave
yard tor more than thirty years; and
| then, the preseut Squire-he that was
Young and gay as a Iark when last the
| toWnsfoiks see him-cOme back all of a
sudden; and though that was a dozen
years agone, his hair was as gray,
| Ills step as slow, and the whole
| look Of the man as gloomy as ye
see it now,"-and old Isaac paused
in his narrative to take breath, but
only for minute, for stralgntway he
| began again: "And that 'er timeplece
ye've jlsG bought, it seems to have the
| lixTn ,ft nh Ia
goings on have bin telling ye OF. L
| mere TO the shop, for its tick sounded for
ali the world like human voice, a say
ing over and over: Forget-FOrgive-
Forget-ForgiVe. 1t we'll nign crazed
me: l could noWise stand it; and says |
| TO my old woman, L must jlsU put stop
to that thing. Then, ye see, too, most
| folks that come a-tradlng along with me
have many thing to forget and forgive,
or leastWays TO be forgiven or forgotten; |;
SO says |, It'll never DO to have that 'er
old cock a dinning ever in their ears
them words, for that's duty folks ain't
oyer-parllcular to be minded on"
| After Isaac's story, Mrs. Dale was
! doubly delighted with her purchase,
and with no delay her little hand, spark
ling with Jewels, placed three crisp, new
bank notes in lsaac's brown, labor
stained palm, saying: "Have it sent
home Immediately, Mr.. Prindle, for to-
morrow is Thanksgiving Day, and 1
surely want it to tick its first tick, ring
its first hour for us-dear old clock that
las licked SO many minutes. rung out
so many hours for other people-on the
first Thanksgiving eve we nave celebra-
ted in our own home;" and she was so
happy, that little woman, she forgot she
was talking TO old Isaac Prindle,t the man
regulated shreWd to drive a bargain,
hard and close, for she added, 81 tnin
every day Of our lives is a Thanksgiving
day, we are so happyN And something
in the words strangely touched old
Isaac-old Isaac-the man, the gossips
said, had no heart, except for bargain
ing; no heart except for money making
and money boarding, tor-just for u
m0ment-a dimness came over his eyes,
while he gayea low ohuchle, that was
more like d sigh than cough. Why was
it? Had that old man, with the
wrinkled face, and labor-marked hands,
known days that were SO happy? They
were al Thanksgiving days, TOO, God
sends such days into almost every life,
though they may be lew, though they
may come but seldom. .''
Old isaac himself superlntended the
moving and placing of the clock, saying
TO Mrs. Dale, when all was in order:
Nov, all ye'Ve got to do is to touch il