Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-21
you-though I know by his chuckle 1t
often strikes the Colonel when / strike.

l =
/ Never shall forget the moment OF nay
arrival ut the front door. stuck our
/ FL least three feet from the back OF
common carr, to which a miserable mule
| wac driven by a black rag-a muffin. inc
! Colonel dropped his feet from the porch
railing, slowly took his pipe from his lips
| and stared hard at the approaching com
/ biaatioa I'll cat my head. he tnlln-
/ dcred, III that Amt a coffin! David
| Sim,,7s. YOU damn rascal. whose funeral
| Is this7
| The Colonel was wrong-it was no fune-
| raj, but a resurrection; the quality OF ms
| voice and greeting told me that l was
| once more IN the company Of the gen
| tcei.
But my adventures were not yet over.
| In the nature OF things. was ,o",'o ~
! be generally out Of order. and had lost
nv voice completely: and So until could
| be repaired, was put in an unoccupled
Office In the yard. One night there were
| gay doncs here. A bride and groom were
resste{i-thcre was much music and danc-
Ing. Although my works were out or or
| der. knew by habit that 1t was O'CLOCK
before the great house and Offices were
| silent, and family and guests slept T" max
happened then I shall give you IN my
yoI,a- lady's words. for she dearly loves
al walked she said. suddenly from q
sound slee, with strange CONVICTION OF
Ere ran out into the hall where lamp
was left burning: II was perfectly SAKE.
i As I passed q window glanced out. ano
~. st-anccst sight ever saw confronted
me thought In a fash OF the Nlrk IN
Tam O'Shanta. The office was one ofll-
liant illuminate ton from foundation 10 rooi-
con1b-;t seemed built of light. In the IL
q large company. The hoTses-!elt OUT 70
rrazc at nieht--tt7e COWS. the hounds. the
setters, the ducks the geese-all silent
IN astonjshment-even the seese-shent
Then suddenly the mystery was solved: a
sharp tongue OF flame shot from the TOOL
and the building was wTapped IN nerce
corfaeration. The spell was broken
nupbub of barking. lowing. cackling arose
from the creatures. and FIRE! nre!
screamed with all my power
Now was IN that Office. The very wax
rrooed into my pores t.fty-nay. seventy
five wears ago. started out IN crops 'ne
nafo+ on nv face era cked. and l thought
-. r.st bo,,r, nv last minutes. had been
told. But. suddenly, above crscAliIls
Toues and breaking glass. girls voice
rang out:
Save, oh, save my clock"
THE next moment c strange Hsufe
enrsng into that room. Il was enat o.
a daredevil newspa perrnan from r''c4
rnond. who was visiting the family. ne
had hastily donned his swalloN-'ai' coz
worn ST the dance that niEht-ano YET
I cannot consclenGoIsly aiiiii AZ
was in full dress!
Ee seized me about the rntdole-1ny
weights made me lurch from sioe 10 sue
the floor was red hot; II was mat
struggle. but he was game; ne heio OIL
We rea ched the door and fell at my Gear
ladv's feet. scoTched, cracked, nut haPpS
because-she loved me!
The next chapter IN my history starts
orI with q mystery / cannot yet explain
In spite Of the affection my mistress pore
~. as above exen1plifed. IN spite OF my
great value evidenced by the RISK OF ne
the reporter ran 20 save me- from tlle
flames was next throTn-aclua1iy
throwr,-into q shed with lot or mere
lumber. Divested OF my face and works
nv frame. 8 broken wreck. I lay there
forgotten. almost forgotten. for the END
of time seemed very near. While In this
pitifully iGnor1inous position domln1ch-
er hen had the terr,e!fty 70 lay eleven
eggs in my skull. II SO should term the
part OF my case behind my face. In the
end this insult proved oiesslns. a.c
saved nv tottering faculties from ooli-
WON. Automatically / commenced cal
culatfns and counting time between
eccs-tie period Of tncubation-the pip
ping of the chicks. Save for this. time
passed unheeded. unmarked. But there
was still happiness IN store for me. One
weary day my young lady ran into the
shed ali eagerness. passed uelnpllns
hands alorS my once polished surface,
and finally in a sudden transport OF Joy,
embraced me Hey? What are you
laughing at?
The Iron Chest: That occurred on the
first day Of October. I an as particular
about dates as you are about time. There
was visitor here on that day. dear
old lady. g fourth cousin. once removed,
OF ours She sat by the FIRE here while
our Young lady told her the story Of the
fire and the clock. My child she said
'if that is the BIount clock and really
came from Belmont. then II must be the
Nat Turner Insurrection clock. and If 1t
IS the Nat Turner clock. then the shot
are still sticking in the door. With that
the young lady few from the roorn-no
doubt to rapturousiv embrace you! You
will please excuse my n7errinnent, for the
laugh Is on you this time When she re-
turned she said MY clock is historic
I always felt It. but now I know. Oh, I
am so proud OF 1t"
Now, what want to hear about is not
your everyday history. Dut EbIF historic
history. I have history OF the most re-
spectacle quality and earliest dates, and
yet nobody calls me historic.
AS for the Nat Turner insurrection. I
remember It well. as far as we were
from the scene Of its bloody deeds this
house was filed for many nights with
the terrified white trash Of the neighbor-
hood.
The Historic Clock: Recer,ber, my
friend that I bear the shot fired by the
irsurrectionists still in my body, and that
I received them al my post Of duty in
trepidy counting the bloody moments in
Or. Blount's hall But st grows very late.