The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-06-15

"A lew weeks later ana little refer
again returned with child's persist
ence to the puzzling subject of his
grandfather's decaying strength.
Grandfather, if it isn't the domi-
noes that does it, tell me what it is
that makes you such an old, old
man."
Old 'Lijah did not laugh at the
boys question now. He felt his life
feeble within him, and he did not
know what to say in reply that could
be Ineligible to child. They were
alone in the kitchen, and no sound
was heard but the loud ticking of
the tall clock, the audible footstep of
time. The old man looked into the
child's fresh young face as he stood
between his knees waiting for an an
swer, and he smiled feebly, and
pressed the firm round cheek with
his shaking hand, but he said moth
ing.
"But what is it, grandfather, that
makes you such an old, very old
MANI"
Then 'Lijah looked up at the tall
clock whose loud tick tack penetrated
his dull hearing, and it seemed to
him as though he had heard it for
eighty years, counting out aloud the
minutes, hours, days, and years of
his whole life.
"It's the ticking of the clock, my
little lad, the ticking of the clock, that
makes grandfather such an old, old
man." and Peter was satisfied with
the reply, and set his young brains
to work to find out how he could
battle the evil influence of the clock,
Now the tall clock was very big
person for small boy to tackle. He
stood six feet without his shoes, with
huge round face behind pane of
glass, and long front door opening
straight into his vitals, and Peter
had peeped in on winding-up days,
and seen two heavy weights hanging,
and the shining brass pendulum
swinging to and fro, whose everlast-
ing tick tack had made an old man
of his grandfather. Well, never mind,
wait till some time when mother was
out of the house, and grandfather
asleep in the big armchair, as he was
nearly all day long now, and little
Peter knew what he would do!
Not many days afterward every
thing happened as Peter wished, and
he looked out of the window to make
sure that his mother was at safe
distance at the end of the garden,
and there she was, standing with her
back to the house, busy pegging
clothes on the line, so that no danger
need be feared from that quarter.
Indoors, too, all was equally favorable
to the carrying out of little Peters
deep laid scheme. Grandfather really
was older than ever today. He had
not stirred from the big chair since
he came down in the morning, and
when he was spoken to he said moth
ing, he only smiled and fell into a
doze. He was fast asleep now, and
little Peters heart beat with JOY to
think what fine surprise he was pre-
pairing for his grandfather. What
would the old man think when he
felt the stiffness and trembling going
out of his legs and back, his eyes
growing clear and bright again. and
his deafness leaving hims all which
would be sure to happen if the clock
would only stop ticking.
Grandfather was so fast asleep
with his head leaning forward on his
breast, that little Peter was not afraid
of waking him. He summoned all
his courage to his aid and stepped
cautiously up to the great clock, with
its menacing tick, tack, unlocked its
front door, opened it wide, and
peeped into the resonant cavern in
it's inside, with the heavy iron weights
hanging, and the bright brass pen
dulum swaying to and fro with its
everlasting tick tack, tick tack. Then
without giving himself time to take
fright at his own daring, he seized
hold of the swinging pendulum, and
after brief struggle, held it in his
hand, silent motionless thing.
Then little Peter loosed his hold
and glanct d over his shoulder at the
old man, but he was still quietly
sleeping. He cautiously closed the
door of the tall clock towering above
him in silence, and seated himself on
a stool at his grandfather's feet,
waiting to tell him when he awoke
how he had stopped the ticking of
the clock that made him such an old,