Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1893-07-21
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE OLD CLOCK.

there was once an old clock of the time
of Nine. Pompadour. 1t was of chiseled
bronze and was decorated from head to
foot with gilt and enameled ornaments.
Its face was all Of silver, and its hours
aud minutes were marked by precious
stones. The clear tones of its striking
resembled the vibrations Of harp, and
it struck several notes like the Ginning
Of ancient Flemish clocks
At noon it played a fragment of
minuet. 1t sang its little air very
sweetly, but when il had finished il was
silent until noon of the next day. Il
had formerly belonged to very rich peo-
pie. Indeed the clock had been the
queen of the prettiest salon of the time.
How many beautiful ladies had been
charmed by listening to it So it was
prJd'ssr than the grand Turk. 1t be-
lieved itself superior to everybody, and
even the belfry chimes and the great
bell itself were second rate in its opinion.
"How pretty | am" it said, looking
at itself in mirror. Nobody in the
world has an air of more elegance and
distinction than | am sure that If
the shah of Persia should come by here
he would PROSTATE himself at my feet"
Upon a neighboring shelf stood col
lection of little Saxony porcelain mar
quises. They looked at the clock through
their long handled eyeglasses and paid
court TO it from morning till night. IL
was droll TO see how the clock was
pulled up with pride in the presence of
all its beaux Sometimes it would tell
them of the boudoirs where il had
reigned, and Of the beautiful powdered
ladies' in their brocaded silk robes,
among whom it had lived
It believed its charms eternal "Ab,"
it said in its little crystal voice, "how
weary am of this SHOP Every time
this horrid old man comes TO wind me
up it seems to me as If the evil one had
laid hold Of me. | do just hate him,
with his eternal complaints Of his aches
and pains What have ever done TO
be stuck up among his dusky candelabra
and his fusty old engravings Of the time
of the first empire They are 80 ridicu-
lous. arc they mott
"And me, too" the little marquis
answered.
"Do you suppose that we were born
for such fate, my dear Never ray Of
sunshine comes into this forlorn old
shop y
"Oh, it is killing, my dear, and il
VIC did not hear your lovely symphonies,
it's not much pleasure we should have
in tho world"
Every day the clock and its admirers
would repeat this discourse.
1t happened that one day the old bric-
a-brac merchant fell i'll. Gout took him
and nailed him fast 10 his couch, and
kept him month Of aches and groans
in the rear Of bis shop. December 3
came. The clock had not been wound
and it stopped. In vain it tried to
move its hands, TO sound its silvery
chimes. II remained silent
ooh, oh, what is the matter with
you, my dear p asked the little marquis
on the shelf. you are 50 silent. Are
you in pain r
But the clock did not reply.
"Plaguo take the old witch - said
one Of the porcelain figures. "Sbe has
bored us quite long enough with her
babblings. Let her rest now, she has
had her day"
The mortified clock tried 10 strike,
but could not make sound.
Come, now, don't rouse the old
dowager," said the Saxony marquis,
with an amused air. at would be
sacrilege 10 dirt with that old skeleton
when we have such bevy Of pretty
ladies here"
SO saying, he brought his eyeglass 10
bear on tho cngravings Of tho ladies' Of
the first empire, with their short wrists
They had been neglected so long that
they were now all smiles aud courtesies,
and the friendly old gossip--the clock -
was forgotten.
1 The poor clock became paralytic.
That which had ridiculed the equity
merchant and bis aches was bought BY
jewelor, who took il 10 pieces to sell
the gold aud precious stones on It's face
and 10 is works. Dismantled il was
transferred 10 the shop Of another dealer
across the street, where il was thrust
among rubbish on the back shelf. Their,
remained only a few hours OF life, bu
from the corner Of its dusty shelf th,
clock had tune 10 perceive the little por
celain marquis, who bad been 80 devots'
to il, With bis hand on his heart an'