Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-02-13
THE OLD CLOCK.

'Al the world loves a loverl" The
" Words were ringing in my ears as l sat
Fl Oh the cushioned seat in the deep square
M Window The world was all white and
M BEAUTIFUL, snow covered the fields and
Meadows far into the horizon, where
fbe sun was sinking in his crimson
" glory.
It was twilight, everything was soft
NJ md dreamy, and the tick of the old
Fl lock seemed to my girlish mind to re-
I'M Neat the words [ had heard my mother
" gay laughingly to my father after some
M tender Jest of his. ''Loves lover-tick
tock-1oves loverl''
1 was in a big old fashioned hall,
WI here were the broad low stairs leading
"A % the rooms above, the tall mahogany
I'M clOck with its dear old face that was
N Ike a friend to me. What deal it
could tell of all that had come and gone
since it stood in its dim recess. Tales of
4. the first kiss beneath the mistletoe, of
WI Ghe sweet words whispered on the
atairs, of the stories told around the
Blazing Yule logs, all memories of other
@days-when grandmother was young
Nike me.
III e'Tick-tock, loves lover, tick-tockl"
AI turned toward the clock; the red glow
Nfrom the outer world lighted up its
Nface. Surely was not dreamingl The
MfAce seemed to be smiling at me, and
the words changed into ''httle girl
little girl, - as if half plying me be-
cause was left alone.
/ heaved sigh, and before it had
well passed my lips the old clock seemed
NtO say: GIVE seen many things, and if
little girls would keep their ears open
.fhey could learn from almost everything
Mabout them. We don't say much - with
a half point of hand toward the big old
bookcase, which gave groan in an
"swer. ''But we watch and learn great
IDEAL more than people give us credit for.
II can tell you about your grandmother
M Ind how l, by what you would stupid
ElE call an accident, changed her whole
life -
1t gave me strange feeling to hear
the clock which had loved and listened
H. from babyhood speak SO plainly to
me. Before this l had always known it
could tell me so much if I could only
Understand, and now, quite suddenly,
Hill understood just as if the old clock,
with its slow and steady tt'tick-tock,
fck-tOck, " spoke in my own language.
was just little nervous and did
hot like to answer, but [ guess the clock
Jaw the half smile on my face, for it
went on after few moments. eyes, it
lis many years ago when your grand
Wrnother was young; a sweeter lassie
never breathed. I dream sometimes in
Me night, when l alone of ali the house
I'M awake, of seeing her come gliding
down the stairs in her light gray dress,
with its many yarded skirt, the dainty
#ace collar fashioned with the big
Brooch, her hair, with the fresses that
would not quite straighten out, drawn
Gown and over the ears, like curtains
bf gold to set of her fowerlike face.
''She would always heed me. my
self was young then" the old clock
kighed q told her when to rise so as to
urprise the flowers when fresh with
ewdrop diamonds = when she must
Study and read 50 as to be able to hold
her own with the best. These things she
lid not mind, but she would look at me
butte wistfully when 7 would tick out,
Wick, took, 9 o'clock-9 o'clock, but
lark would be the house till the little
ady appeared in the bright sunshine
The next morning
Gone day there was a stir and an ex-
itement = all preparations for your
grandmother s first ball. Silks and laces
were everywhere, and the flowers that
i1led the little window yonder heard all
her hopes and dreams as she bent above
them in her daily care
LAS evening drew on the sleigh bells
we're heard coming across the country
TO the door, there was crowd of serv-
Rnts in the hall, each one peering eager
y over another's shoulder to see the lit
lie mistress in her white silk, which
rustled as she moved and set Off so well
her shining eyes
"Ah, me, that was the beginning of
t all, for it was not the same little girl
who looked into my face next day, and
listened with all my strength as she
whispered fresh hopes and fears to the
sympathetic flowers.
''Many gentlemen now came to call,
and most frequently an older and a
5raver one, who said little, but seemed
% bide his time. There was a younger
one on whom my little mistress seemed
70 smile, and who whispered all sorts Of
pretty nothings in her ear; handsome
ad, but somehow liked not the shift
ng of his eyes.
''Many is the night I kept my old
rame creaking with anxiety. Some
lines would try to put in word to
he little one as she sat where you are,
Pnly she never seemed to hear me. A
mile was on her lips and her heart was
ar away.
Things went on that way for some
line, till one day I heard her fathers