Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1899-11-15
CIR GInrIt Tuurr
Of Hpxsnu.
The Clock Stopped when the
Ring Came on Her Finger,
but Afterward Secled on
the Hours In Hurry.

The following Incidents are set forth
in an old chronicle Of "Village Life In
Hungary
IL Is related how one day the beauti
ful Elizabeth Grunblatt returned. with
out warning, to Janos Gothard. her be-
trothed. his ring Now il can readily
be imagined how like lightning the
news Of this event spread around the
town of Rozsno and what dust it
raised.
And why I~t7 Was Janos Gothard,
Jr.. l ask you. in any way person TO
be trified WITH The son of Mayor
GOthard, whose bears and f0rbears had
always formed a powerful dynasty in
their native villagel
Nor was n girl like Elizabeth Grun-
blatt 10 be picked up on every rubbish
heap. She, too. came of a fine old stock
whose offshoots had frequently graced
the judicial bench nay were old Jo-
seph Grunblatt still alive-but that is
neither here nor there.
Even if young Janos Gothard were a
parsonage with whom il was best TO
take liberties, surely betrothal ring is
not fit object for such pastime.
Hence great was the excitement The
people assembled in eager groups in
the squares and streets and discussed
the probable outcome Of the affair
general opinion leaning To the belief
that the Gothard family would not ac-
cept the rebuff in silence.
Then broke in upon their disturbed
minds this second wonderful event.
which also spread like wildhre; the
tower clock had stopped that morning
at precisely the hour and the minute at
which Elizabeth Grunblatt had drawn
the ring from her finger 1t was exact
ly as though Providence had directly
interposed to arrest the hands and in
tended to hold them captive until the
full truth of the matter should come
out
Now this tower clock had always
been as great source of pride to the
Rozsnoites as the fair fame of their
women. and here. at one blow of fate,
was all over with both They had good
reason, too. for their pride. particular
ly in the clock, for il was truly mar
vel of it's kind, SO much so that the fa-
nous Albertus Turibius had journeyed
way from Switzerland the preceding
year expressly TO study its mechanism.
The wardens had not been at ali in
clined TO permit this PROCLAMATION. but
old Senator Komives gave utterance to
this remark:
LET us not close our ears to the
man 4 request. since we can be perfect
ly assured that hewonders of our clock
will find no room in his head'
And such was really the case. A
whole week long he rummaged and
poked and pounded about among its
mighty wheels and hammers. its in
Vulnerable little rods and triggers. with
the result that Saturday evening. when
he had done. he knew precisely as much
as he did Monday morning when he be-
gan.
There was but one man alive who
understood the mechanism of the Kozsno
clock, and that was Martin Szontagh,
its maker, and he was dumb But he
could never, in any case. have been
induced to reveal its secrets since it
was positively the only one of its kind
III OAioAChSC- HI tuo ISCOIGS Ol iiHI Qdy
it Is repeatedly set forth that in all
cases Of dispute. where the knowledge
OF time wac necessity. the law decreed
that that of the Rozsno clock should be
accepted as the standard
The remarkable feature of this clock
was the separating. at noon and at
midnight, of its face into two parts. al
lowing a cock to come forth, amid an
insane din Of hammers. wheels and
springs, stimulating the while a cry,
like the growing Of a cock. which rang
out over the silent roofs and into the
busy movement Of the streets this warn
ing:
''Lutherans, look to yourselvesr'
Now, all at once, the mighty thing
was stilled. 1t was exactly az though
1t were making the mute declaration:
81 move not again by the breadth of
hair. Mornings can dawn and even
ings fall for all me; | remain as am
so sure as God sees me. Ihave also shut
the cock up away from you forever
morel"
Now is it really worth while, l ask