Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-05-29
C0URTING UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
How the Clock Became Bewitched and
Frightened SaIly's Pa.


How the Clock Became Bewitched and
Frightened SaIIy's Pa.
About halfpast IL o'clock on Sunday
night a human leg, enveloped in blue
broadcloth, might have been seen entering
Cephas Barberry's kitchen window. The
leg was followed finally by the entire per-
son Of lively Yankee attired in his Sun
day go to-meeting clothes. 1t was in short
Joe Mayweed who thus burglariously. in
the dead of night, won his way into the
deacon's kitchen.
Wonder how much the old deacon
made by ordering me not to iarken his
door again 2" soliloquized the young man.
Promised him | wouldn't, but didn't say
nothin' about winders. Winders is Just as
good as doors, if thare amt no nails to tear
your trowsers onto. Wonder if SaPll come
down. The critter promised me- Pm
afraid to move here, cause | might break
my shins over sumthin' or mother and
wake the old folks. Cold enough to freeze
polar bear here. Oh, here comes SALLY
The beautiful maiden descended with
pleasant smile, tallow candle and box
OIL matches. After receiving a rapturous
sreellng, she made up roaring fire in the
cooking stove, and the happy couple sat
down to enjoy the sweet interchange of
views and hopes. But the course of true
love ran no smoother in old Barberrys
Kitchen than it does elsewhere. and Joe.
who was making up his mind to treat him
sell to kiss, was startled by the voice of
the deacon, her father, shouting from her
chamber door,
Sally, what are you getting up in the
middle of the night for?''
pered Joe.
" / can't tell a fib,'' said Sally.
III make it a truth, then" said Joe.
and running to the huge old-fashioned
clock that stood in the corner, he set it at 5.
Look at the clock and tell me what
time it u.s." cried the old gentleman up
stairs.
Its by the clock" answered Sally.
and, corroborating the words, the clock
struck 5.
The lovers sat down again and resumed
the conversation. Suddenly the stair
case began to creak. Good gracious its
father"
The deacon, by tnunderw cried joe
Hide me, Sail"
Where can hide your" cried the dis
tracted girl.
"Oh, 1 know" said he: I'm squeeze
into the clock case"
And, without another word. he con-
eealed himself in the case and drew the
door behind him.
The deacon was dressed, and sitting him
SELF down by the cooking stove, pulled out
his pipe, lighted it, and commenced smok-
ing very deliberately and calmly.
Five o'clock, eh?" said he "Well. l
shall have time to smoke three or four
pipes, and then FL 90 and feed the crit
ters.'
Hadn't you better go and feed the crit
ters first, sir, and smoke afterwards ?" sug-
gested dutiful Sally.
No; snlokin' clears my head and wakes
me up" answered the deacon, who seemed
not whit disposed to hurry his enjoy
ment.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ding
went the clock.
"Tormented lightning" cried the deacon,
starting mp and dropping his pipe on the
stove What in creations that ?"
It's only the clock striking five" said
Sally, TREMENDOUSLY.
Whizl ding! dingl ding went the old
clock furioasly.
Powers of mercyr' cried the deacon
Striking Eve! it's struck hundred al
ready"
Deacon Burberry I" cried the deacon's
better half, who had hastily robed herself,
and now came plunging down the staircase
in the widest state of alarm. What is
the matter of the clock ?'
Goodness only knows" replied the old
man. 1t has been in the family these
hundred years. and never did know it to
carry on SO before"
Whiz bang bang bang went the
clock.
It'll burst itselfr' cried the old lady,
shedding food of tears, and there won't
be nothing left of it,
It's bewitched," said the deacon. who
retained leayen of New England super
stition in his nature. Anyhow" he said,
after pause, advancing resolutely toward
the clock, I'm see what's got into it p
9" Oh, don't" cried the daughter, affec-
tionately, Selling one of his coat tails.
while his faithful wife hung to the other.
Don't" chorused both the women to-
gether.
" Let go my raiment!" shouted the dea-
con, g | amt afraid of the powers of dark
ness"
But the women would not let go; so the
deacon slipped off his coat and while,
from the sudden cessation of resistance
they fell heavily on the floor, he darted
forward and laid his hand on
the door of the cloak-case But nc
human power could open it. Joe was
holding it inside with a death grasp
The deacon began to be dreadfully
frightened. He gave one more tug
An unearthly yell as of q fiend in distress
came from the inside, and then the clock
case pitched head foremost on the floor,
smashed its face and wrecked its proper
tons.
The current of air extinguished the light
the deacon, the old lady and Sally fed W
stairs and Joe Mayweed, extricating him.
self from the clock, effected his retreat in
the same way he had entered. The next
day all Appletown was alive with the
story OF how Deacon Barberry's clock haC
been bewitched; and though many be
heyed his version, some, and especially
Joe Mavweed, effected to discredit the
whole affair, limiting that the deacon haC
been trying the experiment of tasting
frozen cider, and that the vagaries of the
clock-case existed only in a distempereC
Imagination.