Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1876-12-02

for relies" She came OF a good old Ne"
England family 50, by the right OF inherit
ance. her taste for these "bits OF the past was
quite warranted.
Rnt though she was we'll satisfied with her
possessi, ms. one desire she had uniulhlled.-
An old clock "a veritable old clock that
counted time fur our forelathers Oh! how
want one" the bright little woman would say,
as she pointed out TO Ter smiling husband the
very alcnve tlat seemed made tor tall, great
round fricndly-Ecel clock; "and then, It's
loud tick" Mary Dale was woat to add
"would he such company in the house wheh
YOU are away. Edward and carcleSSly she
nleaded: DO let Us buy dear old clocS t"
ring in for Us the hours that are making up
these happy days Of our lives ) aud s'i'y the
young wife repeated
40 prccious hours o golden prime,
hnd afluence Of love and time,
Even as a miscr counts his gold,
Those hours the ancient timepcc told"
And, happy little woman, she never 'houEh''
those days, Of the aftrtpart Of the poet song
Well. it was better so.-bctter, that in the
morning Of life, as in the morning Of the day,
sunshine should rcle.
It was after one of these talks that Edward
Dale told his wife, If, far moderate sum,
she could fnd an old clock, she might make
the purchase without consulting him Thus
it happened before noon Of the following lay
Mrs D4les graceful little figure was fitting in
and out like a bird from furniture warehouses
and secondhand dealers
Isaac Prindie's was the last place she sought,
dngy shop, crowded with a motley collec-
,ion Of valuable aud valuelcss articles and
10 in the darkest Of all the dark corner,
covered with dust, festooned with cobwebs
half-hidden by huge chest of drawers, Mr.
Dale spied the coveted possession.
"Olll YES. reckon its been a counting
time well nish hundred years" Isaac re-
pliei. 10 Mrs DAles eager inquiry: Is il
very I'D aud do you know it. history" aa'
ding: There be history, that's fact That
'er timepece be I'D; ye see, | coined by it il
this fashion: When old Squire Ritter's hous'
was pulled down a couple Of years back, said
the Sauires son.-him that's squire now
SAYS l,e I, me. There's lots of rubbish slowed
away in the carrci, reckon; take 1t, Isaac
f,r what twill fetch he never had no no.
ton. the Sqnlrr', sl', 20 enter tha, old man
sion y. sec. ihrrr WAS trnublc wien he wcit
out Of it.-s.re tr ublc The story was ie-
this: the Squiro's son was a head-stronc lad
,Ed high woris vas them that passed ai~ix'
tie Squire aai hio. high words aud bitter
with which they parted. never to meet aeir
in this 'er world Folks DO say, the Squire
and tie Squire's wife foreave the lad, and
there va, some talk of a letter that was writ
a-hill,n' him come home. md Jet by gone
he by-coues hut never word of sich leliei
aid the ll receive. accordin' 10 his own ac-
count; and never did he put foot in that er
house never in this er town, for tina, matter
IN the old Squire aud his good woman bad
been sleeping in the graveyard for more than
thirty years and then the present Squire
he that was yonng and gay as a lark when last
the tawusrlk see him.-came back all Of a
sudden and though that was a dozen years
agone bis hair was as gray his step as slow
and the ahule look of the man as gloomy a
ye ,ec il upw. o." an! oh Isaac paused in hi:
narrative tu take breath. but only fur minute
f,r straishtway he began again: "and that eT
timepiece we've iist bought, II seems 60 have
the knowledge Il n live crittur about them
gniues on have been a.telling ye o. bad
t, stop its goin' arter fetched it here to the
shop, flr it, tick sounded f1r all the world like
a human voice. a-sayin' over and over: For
get-Foreive- e-Fmget-Forgve Il well uigf
crazei me could nowise stand 4 and sayi
I TO ny old woman. must jst pu, stop e
that thing. Then, ye see, too, most folks thai
come a-tradin along with me, have many a
thing TO forget and forgive, or leastway5 20 b
forgiven and forgotten; 50 says J, i'll nevet
90, TO have that 'er old clock dinning ever il
their ears them words, fOr that's duty folk
siu't over-pnrti;ular to be minded on"
After Isasc's story, Mrs Dale was doubl!
delighted with ber purchase, and with 10 delal
her little white hand. sparkling with jewels
placed three crisp, new bank notes in Isaac
brown, labor-sta ine1 palm, saying: Have ]
sent home Immediately, Mr.. Prindle, for 10
morrow is Thanksgiving Day, and surely
want il 10 tick It's first tick. ring its first hoo
T for us-dear old clock that has tickei 8
many minutes. rung out SO many hours 70
other people,-on the first Thanksgiving ey'
we have celebrated 10 our own home;" and sh
was 50 happy. that little woman, she foTgo
she was talking to old Isaac Prindle, the mai
repu,ed shrewd to drive bargain hard an
close. for she added " ! think erery day 0
our lives is Thanksgiving day, We are 5
happy" Aud something 10 the words strange