New-York tribune., 1915-03-28
the Secret of Punctuality

sonally, ! think that almost any other system
would be more convenient This one is decidedly
unsatisfactory.
Even my clocks cannot master IL For exam
pie, my elegant French one on the msnt.eplecs
gets terribly confused. Yet it must be doing I.
best for I is under the personal supervision Of
g gold bronze nymph and two sea gods. The for
mer, poised gracefully its top, seems TO have
Just emerged from a visit to the works; while
Neptune and a Triton friend Of his, stationed on
each side, are threatening it with trident and
blowing in its ear with conch shell Neyerthe-
less, despite their urging, the CLOCK ticks most
uncertainty. | fancy it is sufocated by the glass
dome which encases the whole group 20 keep the
lady from catching cold.
Ny austere grandfather clock is concerned only
with the past. For the present time it cares
nothing. The hours that it strikes are already
old-fashioned. However feel too difhdent tow
ard it to jog its regulator; 50 out CT respect for
its age, I do no more than dutifu.ly raise the
dropping weights, as though its hands had not
lost their authority and its moon sill ruled the
tides.
Moreover, have nothing with which 20 regu'
late it, for my only other timepece, heavy gold
watch, emblazoned with the family crest Is T.
absentminded as its owner. Various jewellers
have treated this watch, purging It Of It's dust
and then hanging it up for inspection, ignooly
tagged amid rabble Of nickel-plated plebelan'i
hut its attacks Of paralysis persist.
From childhood up these three venerable sr'-
tocrats have been my monitors, and is must b
confessed that they have been lenent ones halt
ing indulgently when I felt pressed, and never
sermonizing about Times forelock Therefore
am attached to them and cherish them In their
dotage.
| realize that their influence is pernlcous
even fight against ii. But somehow | haven't
the heart to turn out these old pensioners and
replace them with new-fangled, boldfaeed in'o-
lents-petty, mechanical tyrants, that neither
make mistakes tolerate them.
Once | did try TO do without them. Remem.
bering very important dinner engagement
decided that | could not depend on my time
pieces. | had trusted them on two previous oe'
casions, with this same hostess, and had oon
times arrived so disastrously late that il was
marvel that she had been forgiying enough 70 ask
me again. This time | was determined TO %
punctual.
In order to keep the engagement in my MIND
for it was still several days of / bought
package of postcards and wrote a series OF them
to myself entreating myself, admonshing myse"
sharply, not to forget o'clock on Friday. "
each card arrived in the mail ! posted tre''
one. Then, when the day came, made arrange.
ments with the telephone company 20 have mysen
called up periodically and told when 90 begin "
dress, when TO put on my hat and coat and "heH
to leave the house. q could not count on ny
servants to do this. Ny colored cook IN al tAs
forty years she had been in my family had ne'e,
learned to tell time; and my old maaseryant ha'
calmly taken the afternoon of, under INC '"
preston that this was day before yesterday
Promptly at $40 o'clock stepped into the "ai''
ing taxcab, and promptly at 6:55 o'clock ~ 'n'
chauffeur's watch | stepped out al the door Q,
my hostess. Five whole minutes ahead OF tifns'
had never done such thing in my life
rang the doorbell
A stiff footman appeared Mrs. LeerheIa =
not at home, sir" he said "She IS nihg 0''
this evening sr.v
"But thought she was to have dinner par"
here this evening" protested in astonshmen"
THAT was yesterday, sir"
This was certainly dscOncerting felt o'
pressed about it all the way home. But as
entered my door both clocks began TO stf'H'
cheerfully give o'clock" tinkled the gay Freneh
bronze. The old grandfather uttered meNo"
boom for $3.50 o'clock drew out my "A'eh
il had stopped