The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1886-01-15
WHAT THE CLOCK SAW.

| Click ticki tick" ratified and clattcrcd
| the round, Dutch-faced, short-leggcd, bold,
impcrtinent, out-of-place little brass clock,
rs it stood on the plush-covercd table
under the mellow light of the great Jap
anese lamp.
Tick. tick tickn' continued the clock,
mcrrily, as if it had nothing else to do but
to tick, and rattle, and bang. 1t made nc
prctense at keeping time, and it thorough
ly enjoyed the freedom Of its position.
Ticking was the only exercise that it get,
and even clocks must have their cxer-
cisc you know.
AT last, wearied beyond measure at the
senseless chatter of the clock, the little
bronze statue of Schiller which stood on
a black-marble pedestal on the mantel, laid
down the little bronze book it had been
reading, with an air of infinite disgust,
and observed in broken English Che was
this country few years.: ''Of all dc nui-
sances hat cffer seen you vas de worst. >
'Eh - observed the the clock, curly.
'Ya," replied the poet. SIN all de
time haf i'll desc house pccn You haf be-
| yont question me, dc most of ANGLING,
| droublcd. You, continued the poet, be-
coming more and more excited care de
impntent, dc gitchcn clock. Vat pecse-
ness you hat among shentlemen off desc
barlor alreaty?a
One might think that such torrent of
indignant abuse from one ordinarily SO
stolid and so hard to move and so famous
as the statue would have taken the breath
of the clock away. but it didn't 1t sim
ply moved its hands little more nervous
ly and licked a little more loudly than be-
fore, if that were possible. Finally it OBJ
served: ''Do you want to know whore
was found?'
The statue nodded allirmatiyely
''Well," continued the clock, 81 will
tell you. Do you sec that man % he re-
marked, as he pointed with both hands at
the form of a handsome young man lying
outstretched and asleep on the skin-cov-
cred lounge.
Again the statue nodded.
''IIe bought me, went on the clock.
LET me see-tbat must have been six
years ago. He started out to college that
year, and he bought me to take along with
him. was pretty in those days. My
sides were bright as glass and my face
was white as mother-of-pearl. | also
made less noise and kept time.
The statue looked as incrcdulous as the
nature of his c composition would allow.
Without paying any attention, the clock
resumed:
Gle put me on his drcssing-ease, and
for time was his cherished friend. He
used to call me his cricket on the hearth,
and he said that my ticking put him to
sleep when he was tired. But | didn't
get vain or spoiled, although, to tell the
truth, grew very fond of him, and when
some nights he came into the room very
late and tried TO wind me up with his
latch-key felt so badly that my consti-
tuition was seriously impaired and had
10 nc SCllL W IL citDtk-liltthtf lttG IL cOillSt
Of treatment. But that is not what start
cd out to tell you. After he had been in
college about year, as nearly as | can
recolIec;-I have no head for time-he be-
gan tn neglect everything excepting his
personal appearance and a certain sort of
literary work. He attired himself in
fashionable garments, visited the BARRIERS
daily, bought beautiful boquets and boxes
of bon bons, and then he would sit down
to his desk directly under me and write
love letters to a girl he called Phillis until
| actually became jealous. He finally be,
gan to neglect winding me, even, and then
knew that he was in desperate con-
dition.'
"rhis sort of thing ran on for several
weeks, until one day heard sweet voice
at the door of the room and he brought
PhiIis in to see how he lived. 1t was
visiting day and the college was ovcrrun
by females.
GLOW did she look - inquired the poet,
as his countcnance lit up with interest.
"Well, unused the clock, hcsitatingly,
''you have asked me hard question. She
had the sweetest face ever saw, tenderand
loving. Her forehead was low and broad,
her eyebrows heavy and dark, and her
lips were full and as red as rubies. She
was certainly beautiful woman, and
looked at her with such earnestncss, and
licked so vchcmently, that | know she
must have been affected by it, for she
asked him to give her that clock, and so
he did.
''To make long story short, | was
given prominent place on the mantel of
her fathers house, and she used to wind
me up every night. At first used to miss
him: but he soon got coming around every
night, and grew quite happy and con-
tented. | had been there for several
months, when one night they sat in the
parlor long after dusk, without lighting
the lamp and | heard him ask her if she
could ever think enough of him to marry
him. 1t was too dark for me to see her
face, but her voice was soft and sweet.
"T do, she said.
swell, | won't tell you what occurred
during the next few minutes. After awhile
they came back into the room where the
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