Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-08-16


,ts='--=T to hear it, not be-
cause | particularly
admire the air, but because there came
before my mental vision most distinct
memory of a childish adventure of my
own, connected with my grandfather's
clock. In recalling it, am well aware
that much of the story must have been
told me by older people, but my own
share will never leave my memory,
[ was six years old when my father
died. and my grandfather offered home
to my widowed mother and myself.
l know now that poverty alone would
not have driven my mother TO accept
this offer, but she knew that she had an
'ineurable internal disease that might
spare her life for years, but would make
il difficult for her to earn a living. She
could take charge of my grandfathor's
housekeeping, but was often compelled
to remain for several days together in
her own room.
To say that my grandfather was an
jll-tempered tyrant gives but faint idea
ol his utterly unreasonable denanda
and love of power Sometimes be wOe.G
rr a;eak to any member of the house
.,. ioI week he would refuse to come
to me table when meals were served.
and give way to furious rage when, two
hours later the food was set before him
utterly ruined by the delay. Only the
extreme gentleness OF my mothers dis
position made her life eudurable, ana
She was happy only when alon with me,
directing my childish studies, teaching
me to sew and knit, and allowing me to
help her when she was able to make deli
cacics for the table.
Our sitting-room was on the first floor,
end was combination of study, library,
sCwing-ToOm, and school,ru. u, for, III
he cold weather it was tn, only place in
tAe house, excepting the kI- On, where
we we're allowed to nave fire The
dumg-loOm between sitting-room and
kitchen shared the warmth of each. In
one corner OF this sitting-room, whore
every article was of the fashion OF cyn-
tury before, was the clock that governed
d household movements 1t was ten
inet high, and four wide, with O mahog-
any e, and two partitions at the sides
where the weights hung The pendulum
swung by itself in tie central division,
and above was the Zig white face with
the dial There was no mechanism about
it, excepting the cloek-wOrk to record
th time and strike the hour, but it was
reliable time-keeper and the especial
object OF pride to my grandfather.
iaus. III childish awe oil ii was so great
that l should have expected to ba hanged
or otherwise put 81 death il l touched II.
Every Saturday night my mother held
the candle while my grandfather wound
Il, mp. and [ stood and watched the two
heavy weights slowly rise from the
LOor 70 the top, making the accent IN -
few moments that it woElu take tnem a
whole wsok to re-trayel. NJ -rlg-+a-
ther always spoke of it as a pr.g,ous
legacy that would one day be mine,
thereby filling me with horror, as Il he
were going to leave me q skull or a
skeleton. l was a tiuid child, and my
creates terror was that clock. The
whirr of its wheels before striking Jhe
slow, loud strokes, tn" solemn tick, all
inspired me with fright as great as il
was entirely unreasonable.
Our household consisted Of t%o
women servants and one man, besides
the family, and our days We're passed in
a ireary monotony. My gFaldiatheI
was proprietor OF large calico factory
that was managed entirely by trusted
clerk, excepting the payment OF thS
hands. Every Friday he went to stock.
ton, the nearest town, to draw from d
bank the money iOr this purpose, ant
every Saturday afternoon he drOvc tC
the factory and paid the wage for The
week. II was u custom nt such ions
standing that no one associate any !dei
of danger with 1t and no sickness ol
weather had ever, to my knowledge
prevented he weekly journeys.
| must explain here my own state o
mind when l had been three years will
my grandfather. l feared him with The
Iaost intense fear, having felt tne weigh
L &C. aHfs if,f -
fense that came TO his knowledge
hated him only as u child can hate, hav
ing no active sense of the duty of sup
pressing THAI emotion. l hated him fo
always speaking unkindly to nay mother
for Bis moan. saving spirit tha. kept u
all half ciolacd and half starved, when
know he was rich man. | hated hin
for deaying me every childish pleasure
ant II, ,rg TO make my mother BRING M
up b. y s. own iron rules. And With thi
hate. u-is- 10 kno.riedge that when h
die J woEld have all lis money. Ee ha'
a su; -titious horror of making q will
beliey iuS it would be followed by hi
death, and l was his only heir-at-law
He made no secret of this himself, bu
delighted to taunt me with his owl
rob1,; Hcalth ana my sickly weakness
and tell me l would never live TO spen
his money, much as [ might desire 1t.
He had boon particularly savage o
that point one Friday evening in Dccem
Der. when he mad returned from Stockto
to fin,l me lying on sofa with nervou
headache. He shook the tin boz Ia whic
he had his money in my face, and tol
me that would never spend it, as his lif
was worth ten OF mine.
Lying there with your pasty, whit
face i.e gruw,d, land eyes like goose
berries. a nice substitute you are fC
my son Nnd are not worth your funert
expenses"
Something had made him more il
tempered than usual even, and he keI
up running fro all the evening OF try
ing speeches. scoldlng my mother fc
waste and extravaganza. threatening I
cut down the meager housekeeping a
lowance still lower; swearing at me fc
. wFetohed, sickly mite, not worth M