Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1901-02-06


peater. which the urchins have also
tied 10 his tail. i'm order TO make him
look as handsome as the cat.
Right at the front door. I'm n high
backed leather bottomed armchair
with crooked legs and puppy feet ike
the tables. is seated the old man OF the
house himself. He is an exceedingly
puffy little old gentleman. with big
Circular eyes and a huge double chin.
His dress resembles that of the bows
and l need say nothing further about
IL. All the difference Is. that his nine
Is somewhat bigger than theirs. and he
can make greater smoke. Like them.
ne has watch. but he carries his
watch In his pocket. To say the truth.
he has something Of more Importance
than watch TO attend to-and what
that is | shall presently explain. He
SITS with his right leg upon his left
knee. wears grave countenance and
always keeps one OF his eyes. At least.
reSolutely bent upon a certain remark
able object In the center OF the plain.
This object is situated i'm the steeple
or the house OF the town council. The
town council are all very little. round.
oily. Intelligent men. with big saucer
eyes aud fat double chinS. and have
their coats much longer and their shoe
buckles much bigger than she ordinary
inhabitants OF Observation-Disclosures
Since my Sniourn in the borough. they
have had several special meetings. and
hav" adopted these three important
resolutions:
That II Is wrong 10 alter the good
old course of things.
THAT there * nothing tolcrabie
out OF Observation-Disclosures. aud
That we will stick by our clocks
and our cabbages."
Above the session room of the cuun.
ell Is the steeple. and In the Ste,ple is
the belfry. where exists and has OK
listed time ont Of mind. the pride and
wonder OF the villagc-thc great clock
Of the borough OF Observation-Disclosures
And this is the object L. which the
eyes OF the old gentlemen are turned
who sit i'm the leather hottomrd arm
chairs
The great clock has seven faces. one
I'm each OF the seven sides Of the stee-
pie. so that IL can be readily seen from
all quarters. Its faces are large and
white and its hands heavy and biac
There is n belfryman. whose sole duty
is 10 attend 10 IL. But this duty Is the
most perfect OF Sinecures. for the clock
OF Observation-Disclosures was never yet
known To have anything the matter
with IT, Until lately the bare SUPPOSE
ton Of such thing was considered
heretical. From the remotest period
OF antiquity 20 which the archives
have reference the hours have been
regularly struck by the big bell And
indeed the case was just the same
with all the other clocks and watches
in the borough. Never was such a
place for keeping the true time. When
the large clapper thought proper TO
say I'D o'clock all it's obedient fol-
lowers opened their threats stimuli
taneously and responded like very
echo. In short. the good burghers
were fond of their sauerkraut. but
then they were proud OF their clocks
All people who hold slnecure offices
are held In more or less respect. and.
as the beifryman OF Vondervotteimit-
tiss has the most perfect OF sinecures.
he Is the most perfectly respected OF
any man In the world. He is the chief
dlgnitary OF the borough. and the very
pigs look up 10 him with a sentiment
Of reverence. His cOattail is very far
longer. his pipe. his shoe buckles. his
eyes and his stomach are very far big
ger. than those OF any other old gentle
man In the village. And as To his chin.
It is not only double. but triple
have thus painted the happy estate
OF Observation-Disclosures Alas, that so
fair a picture should ever experience
n reversed
There has been long a saying among
the wisest inhabitants that no good
can come from over the hills" And II
really seemed that the words had in
them something OF the spirit OF prophe-
cy. 1t wanted five minutes of noon on
the day before yesterday when there
appeared very odd looking object on
the summit OF the ridge TO the east
ward. Such an occurrence OF course
attracted universal attention. and
every little old gentleman who sat in
a leather bottomed armchair turned
one OF his eyes with stare OF dismay
upon the phenomenon. still keeping the
other upon the clock in the steeple
BY the time that it wanted only three
minutes TO noon the droll object in
question was perceived to be a very d.
minutive. foreign looking young man.
He descended the hills at a great rate.
so that everybody had soon good look
at him. He was really the most fin
icky little parsonage that had ever
been seen I'm Observation-Disclosures. His
countenance was OF a dark snuff color,
and he had long hooked nose. pea
eyes, a wide mouth and an excellent
set OF teeth, which latter he seemed
anxious Of displaying. as he was grin
ming from ear 10 ear. What with mus
tachios and whiskers. there was none
OF the rest of his face to be seen. His
head was uncovered and his hair neat
ly done up In papillOtes. His dress was
a tight fitting swallow tailed black
coat. from one OF whose pockets dan
gled q vast length OF white handker-
chief; black kerseymere knee brooches.
black stockings and stumpy looking
pumps. with huge lunches OF black
satin ribbon for bows. Under one arm