The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-03-21
: : = = :
THE sTlMEsSLOCK OF LIFE.
Points Where, the characteristics of An.
53 cestors Control Man

Points Where the characteristics OF An.
cestors Control Man.
There IS . theory, you know, that we
inherit traits and condi ditions from our re-.
mote ancestors as well as from our im-
mediate ones. I Issometimes fancy that
they descend some people with5a time:
lock attachment. A child is born; he Is,
like his mother, we viii say; gentle,
sweet, Kind, truthful for years-let us
say seven. Sud denly the time lock turns,
and the traita Of his father modified, Of
course, BY the acquired habit Of seven,
years. show themselves strongly-take
possession, In fact, Another seven years,
and the piggishness Of a great uncle, the
sstinginess Of an aunt, or the dullness, In
books, Of "a rural grand father,
Then, In keeping with the next two
turns OF the lock; he falls IN love with
every new; face he sees, marries early
and indulges himself reoklessly In o
large family. he Is an exemplary hus-
band and father, as men go, an ideal bus
siness man; and q general favorite In soci-
sety. Everybody remarks upon the fa-
@vorable change since Ills stupid, priggish
college days: All this time through
every change he has been honorable and
supright In his dealings with his fellows.
Suddenly the time lock Of thieving
ancestor Is turned on; he finds tempta-
tion too strong for even that greatly
erestimated power-the force Of
habit Of q lifetime e-and the trust funds
81 his keeping disappear with him
to- Canada. Everybody Is surprised,
shocked pained-end he, no doubt, more
30 than any one else. Emotional insanity
ID offered as q possible explanation by.
the charitable; long headed, alculating,
intentional: rascality by the severe or.
self righteous. 8 ~ &
:5 And he? W Well, he is wholly unable to
account for It at ell 3 He knows that he
had not lived all these years as q con-.
sscious, self: controlled thief. He knows
that the tamptat tions Of his past life had
never before taken that particular form.
He knows that the impulse was sudden.
binding; oYerwhe helming, but he does not
know why and; how. Il was like an
awful dream. Heaseemed to be.power-
less to: overcome it. The time lock had.
turned without his knowledge, and in.
spite Of himself. The unknown, un-
heard sof .thievish ancestor took posses
sion, as ttwere, through force Of su-
zperior strength and: ability, and then 1t
was his hour. The hereditary shadow
son the dial had come around to him.
The great uncle hour was passed IS =
y He, no doubt was turned onto some
other dazed omaton-in Maine or
:Texas-who had fallen heir to g drop too
much hof his blood, and she, poor thing,
happened To- be a girl this time, forth
with proceeded to fall In love with her
friend husband seeing he was the only.
man at hand at the time; while the.
.ttievsh ancestor left. IN shame and con-
triton, q small but light fingered boy In
Georgia to keep his engagement with.
'our respectable highly honored and.
::heret oforeh1ghly honorable leman ofafairs
'fnSWaIl street. The time lock OF hered-
fiity yhad been set: for this hour, and the
machinery Of circumstances oiled the
wheels and silently moved the dial. -
:Belford'g Magazine.