Year: 1872

euucatiou usS eOuetulug " w Win one
whims. Mine had. II is now Eve years
since l hung out my sign-a big wooden
watch-over the sidewalk on Main street
10 Cattaqua, Illinois. I had served an
apprenticeship with my father, who was
a jewsler 10 Chicago before the FIRE, and
the old gentleman had "set me up" as
the saying is, in a store Of my own in
Cattsqua. There was nothing 1 enjoyed
so much as that sign. Every time came
10 the store, cast my eyes up and read ::
II. W. VING,


MATCHMAKER AND JEwELER.


But about my whims. You don't care
about my sign. l have often though
that If | was literary man and was mas
ter of u literary style, it had had half
SO much practice at writing for the papers
as have had putting in main springs, l
could make the history of my whim
quite interesting. But here I am talking
about my sign and all the rest. How.
ever, I am not story writer nor story.
teller. hope, SO you'll have to let me get
at that story Of my whim 10 my own way
1t is as good love story as l ever read.
10 fact | think it is better. So does my
wife. But then everybody thinks his
own way best, suppose. know mine
is.


had a fancy for carrying a watch
that would keep time. l do not mean a
swiss watch that loses. five minutes week
or month. Nor DO l mean an English
watch that, like Captain Cuttle's, needs
setting ahead fifteen minutes afore din
ner aud fifteen minutes ar,er dinner )"
nor au Irish watch like the ono that kept
"the best time and the most Of it Of any
watch in town." got me a real ma.
chine made watch-I don't think l had
best tell what make, it would be adver
tising my watches in love story and
besides l am dealer, and if tell which
watch | chose, l should offend the other
manufacturers, l suppose, which might
not be the best thing In the way of bus
mess.


But regulated my watch carefully
l do think it has q good effect on a mau
to carry . watch that keeps good time.
An inaccurate watch always seemed to
me liar, and l do not think any lover
Of the truth would carry one. regu
lated my watch, until l brought the
thing to nice point. 1t isn't best to toll
you how little it varied in a year. 1t
would sound like an exaggeratiou to you,
ani it would make my story have flavor
OF the shop, and l hate a man to be
always talking shop"


My watch went beautifully, and I did
boast little about it. l told the minis,
ter about it, once, how perfectly it kept
time, and he looked at me with kindly
smile and then said pleasantly: II hope
you take pains to regulate your life as
carefully as you do your watch" That
word did me more good than all the ser
mons be had preached since I came to
Cattaqua. | could never look my dear
friend, the watch, in the face after that,
without seeming to hear the question
"Do you regulate your life as carefully p
Well, hope my life does not vary as
much from the true standard as it did !;
but it isn't tract or a Sunday School
book l am writing, but love story, if l
ever get to it.


You see when wrote to father at the
end Of the first year, telling how we'll |
was getting on, he wrote back to me that
| ought to get married. He said l would
be better man and happier one with a
good wife. And then be added this sen.
tence "But do not take any woman not
full. .jeweled." I knew what be meant.
He wanted me to be careful not to be
imposed upon by sham 10 marrying, as
l was not to be humbuggsd in watch,
But how few women or men there are
who have all the jewels


MY fathers letter set me thinking
about marriage. Living rather lonely
life, amused myself thinking what sort
of woman my wife would be aud what
l should do to make her happy. l would
give her . watch, the very mate to my
own, Q ladies' watch that would keep
time. Ladies' watches are such sham
things generally; good for show, nothing
else. So picked out watch of the
same make as my own, and amused myself
with regulating it. That was for my
wife, when l should find her. Plsyfully
l told one or two Of my friends what
meant to do with my ladies' watch, and
the story got abroad. 1t was matter Of
no little banteriug among the Girls who
should have my LADY Elgin." Some
declared they did not want it, and grea'
many asked to see it. Its sccuary got to
be talked about, and the story helped
trade, for half dozen married gentlemen
in the village provided their wives with
duplicates. But there! l am talking
shop.


My Lady Elgin became more and more
celebrated; some, imagining that it mus,
be better than any other, endeavored to
buy it, but this l refused steadily, ever
when l was offered . premium for it. !
would not begin by wrongiug my wife
iwhile yet did not even know who che
was to be. soon found l could not &c
Into any company without meeting al
}sorts Of illusions to my wifs's watch
! M ..l-oL .,bo tbo 1oIv Uou11 ho