Year: 1872

that, like Captain Cuttle's, needs setting
ahead "flfteen minutes afore dinner and
fifteen minutes arter dinner" !" nor an Irish
watch like the one that kept I" the best time
and the most of it of any watch in town."
got me q real machine-made watch-I
don't think had best tell what make, it
would be advertising my watches in love
story and besides am dealer, and If
tell which watch chose, should offend
the other manufacturers, suppose, which
might not be the best thing in the way OF
business.


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


My watch went beautifully, and did
boast little about it. told the minister
about it once, how perfectly that watch
kept time, and he looked up at me with
kindly smile and then said pleasantly 81
hope you take pains to regulate your life
as carefully as you do the watch" That
word did me more good than all the SER
mons he had preached since came to Cat
taqua. / could never look my dear friend,
the watch, in the face after that, without
seeming to hear the question: "Do you
regulate your life SO carefully?" Well, l
hope my life does not vary from the true
standard so much as it did but it isn't
tract or Sunday School book / am wri-
ting, but a love story, if ever get to it.


You see when l wrote to father at the
end of the first year, telling him how well
/ was getting on, he wrote back to me that
/ ought to get married. He said l would
be better man and a happier one with a
good wife. And then he added this sem
tence: "But do not take any woman not
full-ieweled." / knew what he meant.
He wanted me to be as careful not to be
imposed on by sham in marrying as l was
not to be humbugged in watch. But
how few women or men there are who have
all the jewels


My fathers letter set me to thinking
about marriage. Living rather lonely
life, ! amused myself by thinking what
sort of woman my wife would be and


what / should do to make her happy.


would give her watch, the very mate to


my own, ladies' watch that would keep


time. Ladies' watches are such shams


generally good for show, nothing else.


So picked out watch of the same make


as my own, and amused myself with regu-


lating it. That was for my wife when


should find her. Playfully ! told one ol


two friends what / meant to do with my


ladies' watch, and the story got abroad


1t was matter of nolittle bantering among


the girls who should have my Lady Ell


gin." Some declared they did not wan


it, and great many asked to see it. 1T


accuracy got to be talked about, and thu


story helped trade, for half dozen mar
ried gentlemen in the village provided thei
wives with duplicates. But there an
talking shop.


My Lady Elgin became more and NOR
celebrated some, imagining that it mus
be better than any other, endeavored Il
buy it, but this refused steadfastly, ever
when / was offered premium for it.
would not begin by wronging my wifi
while yet ! did not even know who sh
would be. soon found that l could no
go into any company without meeting al
sorts of illusions to my wife's watch
When asked who the lady would be,


always answered in the words of my faith
: er, "a lady full-jeweled." Some though
: by this meant rich wife, but others un
q. derstood it.


Q am not one Of those who think that
t might have married any woman. An,
a man who believes that of himself is foe
d and an egotist. But the very fact that thi
0 watch was talked about made some of tn
Q ladies particularly anxious to carry it of
. as it had become sort of prize to
taken by competition. Sometimes gil
: weuld stop to see it, and talk about it, an
o blush in a way meant to hint to me tina
f she would like it. But was determine
a that none but a full-jeweled woman shOul
k have it. And is not modesty jewel ez
n ceeding precious?


, My business was even more prosperou


the second year than the first, for Cattaqu