Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1885-11-05
THE OLD CLOCK.

Ten minutes past 62 No, it's not that
late, I think. The old clock has stopped.
you see. 1t has been stopped now many
years; nearly as many as you've spent in
this world. But it seems like short
time to an old man. Try to start it
again2 No; let it stand as it is in mem
ory of Tom. He used to sit there, Just
where you are, facing the old clock,
with the light of the wcod-fire playing
on his smiling face and his golden curls.
All, me- He's been dead many year
now, poor Tom, although he was so
strong and well ;.whiTe I, a weak half
cripple, am still here. And the hall,
with its oaken floor and ceiling and pan
eIed walls, and the big fireplace, and the
stairs with their heavy rail, and the old
clock in its black oak case, with the
moon on its dial-why, they look now
just as they did then, only Tom isn't
here. Toms grandfather built this
house for his young brides home, and
his father brought that clock with him
from Merrie England. Yes, an old race
we are: but we're going now. The hope
of the line died with Tom, and the very
name viii perish from life when they
carve it over me. But never thought
it would end like this when Tom and 7
were boys together. -
I don't know why I've started to tell
you this you stranger that I never
saw till you stopped here an hour ago to
get shelter from the storm. Perhaps it
was because you sat down there Just
where Tom used to, and you noticed the
clock. and you're about the age he was
then; and it set me to thinking of him
as had not for years. hope the tale
won't weary you, and if it does you'll
excuse garrulous, fond old man.
Tom was my cousin, but we lived like
brothers for was an orphan here in his
fathers house. And Tom aud his father
and were all there was of the family.
We boys were of an age. but was al
ways weakly, while Tom grew up to
look like his Saxcn ancestor who fought
with Harold at Hastings. On the very
day of his coming of age Tom was mar
ried, and it was double celebration in
which all the country joined: for we
York county people were then still
clnging to the good old fashions our
grandsires brought over in the May
flower. Toms wife was the fairest girl
in York. and remember how beautiful
she looked, how strong and proud he
was, as he brought her home here. For
Twas too weak to go to the wedding and
the afternoon festivities at her home;
but I sat here at the big hall
window and watched for them.
And just as the clock struck 6 / saw
them coming over the hill, two miles
away; and in just-ten minutes more they
drove up and were in the door. Tom
had said he would be here at 6, and din
ner was waiting; and he pulled out his
watch and showed that it was only by
it. But the old clock showed it was
wrong, and Tom set his watch by the
clock and ever afterward kept them just
together.
We we're a happy household And
our happiness seemed crowned when at
Christmas tide next year a little one
came to bear his fathers name. And he
grew and thrived, and the old hall was
full Of music, and the ticking of the
clock seemed sweet melody. But one
morning the next summer his mother
came downstairs, half laughing, half
crying. She had had strange dream.
she told u.s. She had seen the baby dead
and laid in the old clock case for a cof-
fin; and so clear and life like was the
dream that she noticed even that the
clock hands pointed to just ten minutes
after 6. We laughed the dream out Of
her mind, and the summer went on hap
PLY. The wedding anniversary came
around, and we celebrated it With lit
tie lawn party out there under the big
elms you noticed as you came in to-day.
The baby was out there, too, in his era
die; but as the sun grew low in the west
we brought him in and placed his cradle
just inside the open hall door, where we
could all see it while we tarried on the
lawn to watch the finish Of close game
Of croquet. There was a sudden cry
from the little fellow, whom we had left
sleeping; we saw the cradle rocking vio-
lently; in bound Tom crossed the lawn
and was in the hall, the rest Of us at his
heels. Nothing was disturbed in any
way save that the baby ". gone gone,
without trace, as though vanished into
thin air. Aud as Tom was glaring about
like madman his wife uttered shrek
that still rings in my old ears, and fell to
the ground, blood from burst artery