The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-13

A Small Size Dissertation
 On Country Life and Clocks
By DOLLY DALRYMPLE

| will tell you that he's made so many
 street cars that he can tell by the shadow
 of the trees, by the suns position in the heavens, by the moon, and even by the stars if you please, to say nothing or the various people he meets at different
 times of the day, just what the hour is
 It is not necessary at all, he ayers, to have a little old ticking clock Any bright person ought to be able to pick up the time of day by merely gancing al the sun or by various signs In the trees or by even the flowers themselves
 Now, in town, if you choosed to look out of your window" she continued, and see the shop girls going to their daily work. you know it is half-past seven. At half-past eight the postman comes; al quarter to nine the kiddles are off to school and at nine the thriily house. keeper is ready to go to market In the country the days activities start with the growing of the chickens in the early morning.
 This is the first note from the general farm orchestra which is augmented by lowing cows and squealing pigs and horses prancing and kicking up in the stables. By these signs you know it is between and o'clock. Breakfast prep arations begin shortly afterward and louder and much more strenuous are they than in town, or is it just because the stiffness makes it seem so? Lovely life is country life to be sure.'
 You seem quite unappreciative of your recent visit suggested vne of the group as she listened to Peggys outburst.
 "Oh it's lovely life," Peggy answered sarcasticaly. Life in the country when your perfectly good job Is sitting up in town waiting for you. m spite of the country gentleman's aptitude for time, let me tell you, don't for minute think that he is fninlIS a clock fbnnpb he can tell by~ the trees and the sun ana the moon and the stars the exact time, he supplies himself with, clocks galore. From a grandfather clock to a naughty little French clock and big, sturdy Ger man clock and a cuckoo clock and a musical clock and an ebony clock. and the only one that really keeps time and can be depended uponfo help man catch a street car or keep an engagement, the little moon faced 50-cent alarm clock that belongs to the cook-yes, they are all there.''
 Now. let me confide a bit. of informa ton to you people," sufd Peggy presently after a good, long pause If the man who lives in the country and who has job in town has any enthusiasm it is for clocks. In town he fairly sits on the edge of his chair all day speculating just whether he is going to be detained from catching the 5:30 car that leaves Twen- teth street and Second avenue at that hour, or not. If he happehs to be a law yer and a client makes him miss that train, he pays absolutely no attention to what the client is saying for his mind is glued on the next car-the 6:30 one that will put him at home at least an hour
 late for dinner, but it is better than not at all. Awful thing, having to slave in town and live in the country. You are so dead tired after the days regme-so worn out with catching cars that you can't even be civil to ene man who sits next to you. Not grouchy, but just worn out with catching the car in the morning and catching it again In the afternoon.
 It's worse in the morning, the sprint, of
 two miles or more to land the car than
 in the evening, becasse it's early and nearly everybody Is in a bad humor early in the morning. The man who lives in the country, however, sees tremo ndous compensation in living there, which the casual visitor can't appreciate, ' suppose. He feels so sorry for the man who must endure the noises in town-autos and
 hand organs and buggies and horses and people tramping along on the pavements l at all times and all that, and he thinks it | really readful to have 10 stay in town, | but as a matter of fact after two or ! three years of country life if you take a
 mans country place away from him and | leave him just the street car time table and his clocks, he'll be just as happy, because after all country life resolves it. | self into sort of game of What time | is it. old witch? for yo uare racing and | tearing most of the day tand night try ing to be on time and get home like the | rest of us poor mortals.'