Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-05-21
ASOLEMN WARNING.
The Old Clock That stopped and the
Trouble II Caused.
rDetroit Free press.l

detroit Free Press.l
They were Just two, alone in the old
homestead-two dear, fussy old people,
and one said to the other, as If speaking
his thoughts aloud
There's something goin' wrong in
the house
1--WE felt it in my bones, answered
his wife: "what is it, Elkanah
lyon tell, Nancy. It's bin an it's
a comm nearer, a kind OF trouble in the
air-soIt Of lonesome like, as If some
body he'd BIN and gone"
"Tain't the children" said Nancy,
clearing her throat, and with a quayer
in her voice.
"No, dear" said the Old man gently,
we're used TO them bein' gone. It's
more like something that Is here, or
amt here, an don't know as be sure
which It's.
"Nhere's Mehitabel 2" asked his wife
suddenly. 81 amt seen her since
noon"
In answer to the name Mehitabel
came forward big striped gray-and-
black cat.
There's q sort of gloomerin' in the
air." said the old man. Mebbe if |
read a chapter now it'd help us out. "
Read the fifteenth chapter of st.
John" said his wife. Pears like when
ones in trouble that helps out master
fully"
So the old man read aloud in the
shakv voice Of age that blessed canticle
of the Church, "Let not your hearts be
troubled" and when he had finished
reading he prayed bit, taking in the
whole universe, and still there was what
he called the feeling Of "gloomerin' "
about.
Suddenly his wife gave start and a
weak little cry.
mortal sakes alive / know what it
is now, Elkanah. The clock hez stopped. "
Land of Goshen 'Taint true ?"
"Look for yourself The hands hev
stopped plumb level at II"
" 1t never stopped afore, Nancy. It's
struck for life an it's struck for death,
but not to strike at all-no wonder we
felt lonesome.
ats solemn warnin'." said his wife,
shaking her head in mysterious way /;
"that clock never stopped for nothin'. ="
Then the two simple minded old souls
looked at each other with an air Of vague
commiseration, and shook their troubled
heads sadly.
The next morning the old couple had
breakfast at the regular hour-horology
1, al 10 Il NTH ha II
larity of their ives-and when that was
over Elkanah went out to find a man to
doctor the clock.
"What ails it ?" asked the clock
maker as he opened the tall door and
peered in at the scant machinery.
Sometime wrong withit's innards,"
said Elkanah. THEN hesitatingly, MY
wife thinks mebbe it 5 solemn warnin'. -"
cit mought be gitten old. suggested
his wife, who did not like being quoted
as prophesier.
"raint over o hundred, an ought
to be good for another hull Gentry,
warnin or no warnin'," said the old man.
Scan you find out the difficulty ?" he
asked anxiously of the man who was ex-
aiming it.
"Sure," said the clockmaker. "You
forgot to wind it.
Forgot TO wind the clock
The two old people looked at each
other as il they were dazed. 1t really
seemed ungrateful of that old timepiece
to go and stop for little thing like
that.
"Such thing never happened afore. u
said Nancy. as they sat ioyiully listening
to the "tick-tock of their old compan.
ion. ~ can't hardly seem to sense it.
That clock must be gettin' old"
"Mebbc it's us that's gittin' old stead
Of the clock, suggested the old man with
Q twinkle in his eve.