Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-05-01

1hen We leave mere W ies eAo SAiui S-
know that we came Of a family thai
was well-to- do once. If they don't
make people respect them for them.
selves it isn't much use having tail
,f' grandfathers behind them, but
when I think of the poor old great
grandfather bringing that big CLOCK
Scross the sea to his home in the new
country because he priced it NOR.
than anything he had, and when
think OF all the generations it hn
licked for, I can't find the heart to lei
it go into strangers hands" II,
brought himself up short before the
tall old clock in the corner. "No, th'
lock shan't CO." he said.
'Zed, you're the queerest!" saie
bis mother, with an unspeakable con
sternation. "Queerer than YOU
poor father, and could never max
lin out"
But Zedekiah was contemplating IL
old timepiece, with its once statel,
carving of black oak and its dial O:
polished brass, where, beneath the
'sGiles Hembest me ficit, London.
17O9," ran a half obliterated legend
and the name John Barnes, Exeter
WI"
81 believe it's worth ever SO mucl
more than S2," he said, examining tn
quaint engraving with care. "Any
way, it's not going for that, nor fo.
anything. l don't mean to say J
wouldn't sell it to keep US from starv'
ing, but we're not there yet, and
lope we shan't be"
"Heaven forbid!' said the widow
But mean to set that before m,
to work for. 4 home to put you ant
the little girls End the old clock in
WHY, I'm certain the Harrises woult
give it corner in their kitchen till I.
could claim tiff 1t only went ant
kept good time, that is" He ben
nearer to the dial. "What is it i
says?" He spoke out the quaint letter
slowly. Keep me true to TYNE, an,
I'll be true to thee" "Why, mother,
he turned suddenly, "wasn't it Unck
Zed's will that We should keep it j
order and going?'
Mrs. Barnes thin face flashed lit
lie.
"Why, yes" she said, ''it did So.
so, to be sure, but it wouldn't go whel
it first came, although your father tries
to make it; and you know there Eeye
was the money to spend on watch
makers, even if we hadn't felt too badl..
over the way Uncle Zed had deceived
Us. Whatever are you after my boy 2
"Only going to see what l can do t.
it," said Zedekiah, with calm resolu
ton. at seems too bad, somehow
not to have q try. Poor old clock
how could it be true to MS when W,
weren't true to it I'll fetch the tool
md have it to pieces, anyhow"
"You'll only make bad worse?"
Mrs. Barnes rose in some meek eXas
peration and went to the outer kitchen
There were plenty of small "chores'
to do for tomorrow, and she felt un
reasonably vexed with Zedekiah fo
his refusal to sell the clock. Dearly
IS she loved her only son, she wa
growing dimly aware that in strength
of mind and will he was leaving far be.
hind the little red-haired urchin who
1sed to lean on "Movver" for every.
hing, and then he was becoming al
queer" and fanciful as his fathe
'ad been before him.
The sound of gentle hammering cam
rom the kitchen without, followed b.
the rattle of the ponderous weights OF
their numbering old chains The,
.ed's voice sounded eager and pleasant
''Guess what's the matter, mother
40 wonder the old gentleman would
lick The works are all stuffed VI
with paper. l can't make them move
| shall have to take off the dial befor,
I can pull it out. What on earth coult
have been the object of feeding the oil
hing with crumped paper?"
Mrs. Barnes made no response. Sh
had paused in her work of gathering
chips and fragments of pine branches
10 lay ready for lighting the fire in the
morning, and stood there, hnlf leaning
against the wide aid vacant chimney
piece, her arms folded in her calico
apron and her eyes fixed dreamily OF
pace.
1t had "come over her." as she woul,
have said, with the ever recurring
shock it never failed to bring with it.
She thought of how seldom again
should she do these dear and familiar
household tasks under the old brown
roof that had SO long been her happy
home. Soon strange hands would be
busy in the low rooms she had
known and loved SO we'll, and un-
familiar steps would sound upon the
wooden floors where the football:
had echoed that where like the sweet
lest of music to her listening ears.
Next week it would be all gone-the
threshold she had crossed a radiant
bride, the old cradle where she had
rocked her babies to sleep, the very
graveyard on the little hill where rest
ed those she had loved most on earth
The slow tears splashed upon her pur-
pie calico apron and her chest heaved
with stifled sobs. Suddenly there wal
cry from the outer room:
"Mother! Oh, motherl What il
this?"
1t was Zed's voice, but SO altered
that she hardly recognized 1t for hi!
own. Startled, stumbling, half-blind'
ed still with the half-shed tears, she
reached his side and stood bewildered,
half terrified, half expecting she knew
not what, as he held out to her with
trembling fingers a roll of strange,
stained, futtering paper. There were
more upon the table-piles and pile!
more within the works of the old
timepiece, closely rolled and packed.
She raised her wondering eyes to Zed'
ekiah's transformed face and stared
wonderstruck at the light in hi
sparkling eyes.
"Mother, oh, motheri don't yor
.ee?' he cried; "don't you understand
They're bills = notes-Rreenbacks.