Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1901-02-06
!. THE Devil IN THE BELFRY ?
BY EDGAR ALLAN POE.
What O'Clock ia itf-old Swing

mt Q CLOCK u hf-Old saving.
Everybody knows. In a general way.
that the finest place In the world is
or, ains, was-the Dutch borough OF
Nondervotteimittiss. Yet as il lies
some distance from any OF the main
roads, being in n somewhat ON or the
way situation. there are perhaps very
few OF my readers who have ever paid
II n visit
The site Of the village is I'm a per
fectly circular valley. about a quarter
OF a mile In circumference. and entire
~ surrounded by gentle hills. over
whose summit the people have never
yet ventured to pass For this they
assign the very good reason that they
do not believe there is anything at all
on tho other side
Round the skirts OF the valley (Which
is quite level and paved throughout
with fat tiles extends n continuous
row of 60 little houses. These. having
their backs on the hills. must look or
course TO the center OF the plain. which
Is just GO yards from the front door
OF each dwelling. Every house has a
small garden before II. with n circular
path, n sundial and - cabbages The
buildings themselves are so precisely
alike that one can In no manner be
distinguished from the other. Owing
10 the vast antiquity. the style OF ar
cbitecture Is somewhat odd. but II Is
no lacS ST. Iii Y,.rIx
picturesque. They are fashioned OF
hard burned little bricks, red. with
black ends. so that the walls look like
a chessboard upon great scale. The
gables are turned TO the front. and
there are cOrnices. as big as all the rest
OF the house. over the caves and over
the main doors. The windows are mar
row and deep, with very tiny panes
and a great deal OF sash.
On the roof is a vast quantity or tiles
with long. curly ears. The woodwork
throughout is OF dark hue. and there
Is much carving about IT, with hut a
triflng variety OF patterns for time out
OF mind the carvers OF Vondervotteimit-
tiss have never been able 10 carve more
than two ObJects-a timepiece and a
cabbage. But these they do exceeding
ly well and intersperse them with sin
guiar ingenuity wherever they find
room for the chisel
The dwellings are as much alike in
side as out. and the furniture is all up
on one plan. The floors are OF square
tiles. the chairs and tables OF black
looking wood, with thin. crooked legs
and puppy feet The mantelpieces are
wide and high and have not only time
pieces and cabbages sculptured over
the front but a real timeplece. which
makes a prodigious ticking. on the top.
IN the middle. with a HowerpOt con-
tanning a cabbage standing on each ex-
tremity by way OF outrider. Between
each cabbage and the timepiece, again,
Is q little china man having a large
stomach with a great round hole I'm 1t.
through which is seen the dial plate OF
q watch.
The fireplaces nre large and deep.
with fierce. crooked looking fire dogs.
There is constantly a rousing fire and a
huge pot over IL full OF sauerkraut and
pork. to which the good woman OF the
house is always busy In attending. She
In little fat lady. with blue eyes and a
red face. and wears q huge cap like a
sugar loaf ornamented with purple and
yellow ribbons. Her dress Is Of orange
colored linsey woolsey. made very full
behind and very short in the waist and.
indeed. very short IN other respects,
not reaching below the middle OF her
leg. This Is somewhat thick. and so
are her ankles. but she has a fine pair
Of green stockings to cover them. Her
shoes OF pink leather are fastened each
with q bunch OF yellow ribbons puck
cred up In the shape Of q cabbage. In
Dutch watch; In her right she Yields q
iadle for the sauerkraut and pork. By
her side there stands a fat tabby cat.
with a gilt toy repeater tied TO its tail.
which 1.-THE boys" have there fastened
by way Of a quiz.
The boys themselves are. ali three OF
them. In the garden attending the pig.
They are each two feet In height They
have three cornered cooked hats. pur-
pie waistcoats reaching down TO their
thighs. buckskin knee breeches. red
wooden stockings. heavy shoes with big
silver buckles and long surtout coats
with large buttons OF mother or
pearl. Each. too. has a pipe In his
mouth. and little dumpy watch in his
right hand. He takes pun and look
and then a look and n pufr. The pig
which Is cospulcnt and lazy Is occu-
pied now tn picking mp the stray l''avcS