The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-03-31
THE CLOCK.

There was ut Epinal In 1900 or 170t
and som"thiny-it is 80 long ago that Il,
not remember the exact date. clock Wit
chimes. music and moving figures that
excited the admiration ofall the ncighbor
ing towns.
From Vcsoul, Chaumont, Nancy anG
even strassbUrg, from the four cardinn
points. in fact, 1iockcd inquiSitivc mcl
| and women, who ut the approach of mid
t.ny crowded into the back shop of oil
liastCr Tiphairc. the Ingenious construct
or of this complicated machine Master
Tipha'ng bad never consented to part wit.
his masterpiece. To the offers of honor:
and money, u hundred times repeated, lIi
gave formal rCfusllS saying:
My rativc town will inherit it after
my death. If you took away my clock
low, you would kill me, you sec, for it i:
Fart Of lny life.
Master Tiphainc did not exaggeratc
For long years, absorbed i'll the most i'm
possible calculations, he had conceived
and thought out his plan OF mechanism
In fact, it took ten years before his projcct
was realized. He made all the pieces liil
self and fitted them Together patiently
after q thousand fruitleSs trials. Oh how
many S!ccplcss nights, how many hidden
discouragcmcnts! Hn attained finally the
certainty of triumph. Indeed Master III
phsinc did not exaggcratc i'll claiming
that this clock was Il Fart Of his life.
One day, then, the inhabitants of Epina
learned that the old clOckElai.Cr had solved
his problem and that they were sum
moned to assure themselves of the perfect
working of the apparatus
They took care not to miss the appoint
mcnt. They admired very much the con,
struction Of the machine, Lut when ut The
stroke of ~ the mechanism set in motion
the figures, men ut arms, hcralds, apostles
etc, when the chimes rang, mysterious
bells played popular air, the cock crowcd,
the OK believed. the ass began to bray
and the fat goose to utter his hoarsc cry
due, as every one knows, to Il cold con.
tractcd by an ancestor on Christmas night
there was IL wild admiration, an ire
sistibln enthusiasm, among the Spectators.
"Once morc!" they called out.
81 cannot ohltgo you, replied Master
Tiphaine. The machinery is arranged to
work only every "a hours. If l disturb
the least thing, the whole is dcrangcti
and am too old to recommcncc such IL
bors. Come back tomorrow"
On the next day the sightsecrs came in
still greater numbers. Then the news
spread and reached the country and the
peighhoring towns. Every day the buck
shop was filled with admirers who were
pntiring in applauding the masterpiece of
SEVERN Tiphaine.
But for some years Master Tiphaine had
remained indifferent TO the sincerest and
the loudest praises. In the confused din
Of ordinations he listened only to the
laugh of a child, clear laugh, joyous and
fresh rs the chant of q mountain cascade,
purer and more melqdious than the mys-
ferrous bells that sang in tho clock.
Among all the faces that bent toward him
gaping with surprise Tiphaine observed
only the pink and white cheeks of Guile
mine, u pretty little child OF 8 years Of
age, his granddaughter.
Guillemine did not miss one of the mid
day representations. Master Tiphaine in
stalled her in the first row; then he raised
the curtain that protected his clock. From
this moment all his attention was directed
to his granddaughter. With as much i'm
patience as the child he counted the tick
ings, he awaited the preliminary clicks.
1mmovable, in state of ecstasy Guile
mine fixed her wide opened blue eyes on
the clock.
Click, click, f-r-r-r-oul Gearings,
springs, cogwheels, began to move with q
noise like the Tapping of wings,
Master Tiphaine read on Guillomine's
face the emotions that peryaded 1t, and he
tAlt q childish Joy.