The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-04-23
The Tick of the
Clock
There Was a Legend
About 1t
By EMERSON MARBLE


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There is coming about a singular
mingling Of American wealth and Ru-
ropean ancestral abodes. 1t is now
quite the fashion for an American null
timillionaire to buy an old castle, re-
pair 1t, decorate 1t and keep it for one
Of his homes. am not exactly a null
t1millionaire. Indeed, I am scarcely
millionaire, but plenty rich enough to
have bought castle-a small one-and
put it In habitable order
1t is a veritable feudal castle, stu
ated In Pomerania between the towns
Of Dievenow and Kolberg, on the Bal
tic sea. 1t stands on an eminence over
looking the sea and altogether makes
delightful summer residence. AS to
winter-well, can't say how pleasant
1t is in winter, for the moment the
winds grow the least bleak In autumn
invariably leave, like the birds, for a
warmer climate, but 1 should fancy
1t would be very desolate.
With the castle l bought what of the
furniture remained in it. There were
not many pieces. but what there was
was very old. There was an elaborate
bedstead with the arms of the family
that built the castle carved upon the
framework set on the posts supporting
the canopy. There was the original
dining table of massive oak. No won
der it remained. 1t was too heavy to
be easily taken away There was a
spinning wheel that had spun all the
material worn by the members of the
inhabitant family for centuries.
At turn In the great staircase lead
ing to the rooms above stood one of
the first clocks ever made. 1t was sew
en- feet high and large In proportion.
The machinery was crude, the weights
heavy and the hands warped out of
shape with age. But they were not
moving. Indeed, they had not moved
for many years. The pendulum was
unlocked and standing in the case just
below where it had licked away num-
OCA u SCACIdI "a OdOy WOuIu OC
born, live to threescore years and ten,
die, and meanwhile the pendulum
would swing slowly back and forth, as
the poet has beautifully expressed it.
saying, Never. forever; forever, new
err"
OF course there was legend about
the clock There always is a legend
about an old timepiece like that. A
musty record book went with the prem
ises, giving the history Of the castle
in entries that had been made from
time to time I went to live there in
the early spring, intending to spend
the summer, and one Of my principal
amusements from the first was porting
over this old record Certain entries |
found scattered here and there inter
ested me exceedingly. These are sam,
pies:
Dec. IL, 1854
At midnight the clock stopped. All knew
that 1t would likely begin to swing at the
next midnight and that 1t would mark the
hour of our good Sir Olafs death, who Is
lying sorely distempered.
Dec 10, 1854
Inc CLOCK began again 10 LICK dJ IllQ-
night and gave twenty-five ticks, when 1t
stopped again. Sir Olaf will die on Christ
mas day The clock will not begin to
tick again till after his death
A later entry was as follows:
June 8, 174S
Though the pendulum Of the clock has
been detached for forty years last mid
night, loud ticking was heard in the
castle All counted seven ticks. Poor lit
tie Hubert is very low. We look for his
spirit to pass away in three days.
From previous entry recording the
birth of Hubert I judged that the
lord of the castle and his wife had
been married long without child and
Hubert had come to them a great
blessing. After his death-he seems to
have died in childhood-the entries for
some twenty years are very meager
and the castle appears to have been
seldom occupied.
1 wondered at the superstitions of
these people, who seemed to look upon
the supposed or reported or dreamed
ticking of rusty clock whose pendu-
lum had been detached for forty years
az no more unusual than one would
consider the appearance Of comet In
the heavens. Nevertheless l never
passed the old clock as l went up and
down stairs without something akin to
dread l attributed this feeling to the
superstition prevailing among my own
ancestors centuries ago, the rudiments
Of which still exist in me-
l passed a delightful summer in my
castle. would sit all day looking at
the ships now far out at sea, moving
apparently so slowly that I could not
detect their motion, just as we fail to
perceive 1t in the passage Of our lives
In the morning a sail would stand Oh
the horizon, a mere spark Of yellow
sunlight. and by noon it would be op
posite me. Sometimes when the wind
was light it would be within my range
Of vision all day. On a terrace. at my
window or on the battlements of tow
er l would dream dreams of the for
mer denizens of my castle.
At one time could see viking shil
pulled up to the shore below me, plum
ed knights debark and, coming up to
the drawbridge, stand and call to me
to come down and lower 1t for them.
At another men would be noisy In the
court yard putting on armor and
mounting fiery steeds. There would be
a sound of chains running through pul
legs. thud of the drawbridge as il
came down. then clatter Of horses
hoofs upon IL as the warriors ur6ap