Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-04-10

WIN h CHUCK duu d CdCklcs Is bl0Splly CdllluS
Her darlings together, her little ones ten.
She broods soft above them, the drowsy wee
things
Baby, sleepl
-MdrDaret johnson, in Our Little Ones.
THE CLOCK THAT STOPPED.
How Ned "Flxed" 1t and Made It Go,
and the Way 1t Went.
The eight-day clock gave a great deal
of trouble. 1t had a habit of stopping,
and no one knew why. It was duly
wound and everything done for it that
could be done for a clock. But still it
would stop. 1t was the clock frankie
went to school by, and the M that
marked off the happy play hours when
his little friends came to see him, or
when he was allowed to visit them. So
he missed it, and wondered a good deal
about it, and wished it could be fixed.
But some alterations were to be made
in the house, and his mother said Ninny
should take the clock to the garnet
until its new nook was ready, and then
it should be sent down town forrepairs.
The garnet was the place where all
the boys got together on stormy days.
There was room to play circus and
soldier, and no n came there to say
"Hush," OF Pray, boys, do be quiet"
In n corner was Frankie's playhouse.
There was his big dappled-grayrocking-
horse, his span of rocking-ponies, his
swing, his box of tools, and more play
things of every kind than you could
count. Ninny, when shcicarried the
clock up there. took care to get it as far
away as possible from this corner.
"Thim boys will be sure to be afther
it," she said, $50 I'll put it on a high
beam in the dark, where they'll niver
find it"
But it had not been long in its dusty
solitude before there came a rainy day,
and all the neighborhood boys Hocked
in. Ned was the biggest and most rest
less one, and it was not long before he
spied the clock.
"Hello, frankie! Whose clock is
that?" he cried.
"It's ours; SIS spoiled"
"Spoiled? Doesn't it go?"
"No, it doesn't go; it dosn't do any
thing but STOP"
well Idon't see how it can stop if
it hasn't been going" roared Ned with
a loud laugh.
Lets look at it, anyway" he add
ed, climbing up on a box and lifting
the clock from its shelf. He carried
it to q window and set it down on the
floor. All the boys gathered around.
"Open it," cried John.
"Let's see the Wheels" clamored
Willie.
Ned opened the door, but found in
side only the key to wind it with, for of
course the face hid the machinery. Ned
shook it and it began to tick.
II can fix it," he said. "You let it
stand too still. See, it goes" And,
sure enough, it did, feebly, and for only
a few minutes.
Ned had no wish to do mischief, but
he had a great desire to tinker. "Say,
frankie, may 1 nix it,"
elf you can" replied frankie, glad
~. Mamma said she wanted it
fixed"
Frankie's box of tools stood near, and
Ned took a screw driver, and undid one
screw after another until the face WIS
loose. This he took of. The bows
crowded closer to exclaim and ask
questions.
"Oh, what a lot of wheels!' cried
one.
care they gold?" asked another.
They're brass" said Ned. "And
this thing here is the spring"
1t was interesting indeed to see its
wheel within wheel, and that coil Of flat
steel-blue wire. Ned examined every
part, took out one screw and then
another, until finally he had everything
out of the case. This took him an hour
or more. Then he tried winding up the
spring, and found he could turn the kew
round and round, and the spring would
tighten by slow degrees. But as
as he took away the key il would un-
wind with a whirl..
ut goes now, doesn't itpn said
frankie.
"Ye-s," said Ned, a little doubtfully.
Truth is he was beginning to be dis
tressed at the sight of so many scat
tered pieces, and so many screws, and
to feel certain he could never put them
together as they were before.
"Yes, it goes" said frankie ioyfully.
"Now. Ned, let me wind it,"
The winding it was the chief part Of
the fun. Each took a turn at it. They
thought the whining of the sprieg very
lively music. Ned did not like @ own
that he had spoiled the clock, but SO he
feared.
Now We'll put it up" he said.
"But hoE can we tell what time it is
when the hands are off % asked
Frankie, beginning to be suspicious.
"Ill put them on some other time,n
said Ned, growing very red in the face.
This was far from being satisfactory,
but a play was to be stared, and
Frankie reluctantly allowed the fro