The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-04-22
.oNcLUpEp IN ouR xrN



have always clung atIry. onatelv
TO the theory that no poor man should
ever hire ANYBODY else 60 do what be
himself can do about his premises. [
am opposed TO hiring tramP~ TO eat Un
the substance of a harl-WcrNlug Iutt-
yjdual, like an editor, hence | never al
low one to saw wood for his breakfast
at my place,
The other dan a tramp called al uy
house. He had kt OF tiukcriug in-
strumcut- and displayed a burning de-
sire To heal the ecccutricities of our
clock, which never could be satisfied
unless il was from four minutes 10
three days slow. | was az first di-pos-
ed to let him give it two or three expert
mental links but when he informed
me that his time was very valuable,
and the wear and tear of his brain
very severe in the performance of such
offices of human beueiscuou, | con-
cluded to do the Job myself.
That afternoon ! went down town
and paid = to a hardware man for the
necessary iabor->aviug machinery /
felt that - was not an -cNtravagaut
price to pay for set of tools that
would tinker me during the entire PEE
riod OF human life. SO | hurried home
and went for that clock
Ny wife spread a white paper ON the
diuing-tablc for me aad it wa, not long
before had the yiScera of that cl0ch
scattered about me like the shattered
remains of brass foundry after cv-
clone has toyed with il. No wondey it
was slow' Every cog and journal was
clogged with dirt and Stitlencd with
oil ] rubbed mp the parts carefully,
and then my wife leaned lovingly over
my shoulder and remarked that she
could not comprehend how in the
world | would ever get all that stun
into it again. | replied that it took a
high order of genius TO do that, and
drawing myself up proudly assured her
that was fully equal 10 the situa-
ton.
Then / began to put the clock to-
gethcr. and soon had il ;ull, but there
were wheels and ecceutriCs and levers
enough left to make another clock.
feel proud OF my grand achievements
/ had often heard that economy IS
wealth. and had saved enough of
that clock 10 pay for a new hair-spring
in my watch. | put on the hands and
wound up the rejuyenated time piece
and then started il. 1t went of like
the gong at railway eating house.
where fellow stops twenty minutes 10
get robbed. When ] was a little boy
going TO school. my -eacher, a tender
young soul of about forty-two summers
and twice as many winters, used to
write Time Flies in my copy-book.
but never fully realized the scope and
intent of the remark. until that clock
resumed business at the old stand.
realized in a moment that | had CON
qucred the perverse disposition Of that
clock to play along the road. II seem
ed infused with renewed vigor and was
punctfal to a fault.
The hour-hand got around the dial
once each hour. while the miuute-haud
got around sixty times in the same pc
-riod, and the bell sounded every sec
ond. On close inspection | discovered
that J had accomplished what had new
er been done before. ! had turned time
backward, and longcd to have the poet
who sang backward, turn backward.
o time in Your tlight' present that I
might show him that his wish was
gratilied. The hands were going the
wrong way, and my wife s1iied 81
sweet, sad smile of hope, as she re-
marked that in few days we would
be a boy and girl in school again. I
was pleased for moment at the
thought. but as a faint wonder what
would become OF our five children in
such an event stole upon me. hope
gave place to "a fear that it would leave
a biemish upon our Young lives to re-
turn TO the good old times. and Jam
med the screw-driyer into the mas Of
rapid revolving wheels and put stop
to their mad career. One OF these
times am going to pull the nail out
and 90 back to the garden Of Eden and
see Eve feed Adam apples. r +.
/ AuddIc, III N i. NercuJ-u