Ahead Of Time
Ihere is a little piec.e of housohold diplomaov which I have never beenable to comprehend, and for whieh I-have in vain sought a Batisfaetory explanation. I refer to he practice of keeping the family doek in auch a eondition that it indicates anywhere from fif teen minutes to an honr ahead of the correct time. If the object be to deceive anyone in tho domestic eircle into more lmrried preparations in the moraing, then there might bc Boniething in it if the person don't know the trick; but if it always liappens that everybody concernèd knows thai the timepièoe is incorrect, .ui go, .,-.,. -iiimself acconlingly. And so the little farce goe on, i,.„, wfPv to to weck, delnding no one uniess to the incorrect visitor who cali to spend the evening, and to wtiom the trae state of aflairs is probably not explained if he happens to belong to the genus "bore." But there comea :t time whenthe head of the household gets ashamed of himself of perpfltuatfng the deceit, and in a gpasm of virtuous remorse he turns back the hands to the proper hour, and wonders to what extent he ia reaponsible for thefalsehood he has all along been encouraging. But he will now make amenas- from henceforth he will keep the doek right on the dot: and withthis praiseworthv (Ictninination lixed upon, he retires for the night. A period of inanimation naturally onsnes, from whicli he is at length lialf-roused by the clock strikinjr s!x - tho next niorning. All forwetful of lus grea{ act the previous night, he drowsilv muttrs. "Well, that m&kefl it five o'ciock- I'll snooze a little longer." Andhe snoozes. Another warning from the ('look one, two.three, fonr, five, six. aeven! He irakés in time to oonnt the sirokes - he rubs his eyes, and the truc situation flashes tnrough his mind, and he i.s clothed and down stairs beforj yon conld say "Jack ■ Robison" - if vou aaid it slow enough. But it is too late. The train that is to" take the tishing party awav is at this time pulling out of tho depot, and the ! rest are wondering uliat has become of Brown. Brown? Well, talk about being as mad as a hornet- it s nothing compared with his state of fcvling, Talk about a woman being disappointed over the non-arrival of hei ncw bonnet - i well, that somewhat approachès Brown's condition. Aml how Be seowly at the innocent little dock, as he places upon it the vvhole blaini' for spoiling his anticipated das of pleasiise. But he will be revenged. He approachès the ticker with a determined look on his face, hurridly grasps it -and turns the hands on agam nntu thóy are aa incorrect -as be■fore, and henceforth they stay in tbat j conditioii. Slight though the ticking of the clock may bc, its sudden oessation has awonderful influence apon the inmatesof the room in wliicli the tïinèkeeper is located. A dun roalization of somethlng wrong stcals over the senses - a (eeling as if somethiii of valuc had lxren lost, or a frioiul luul gone away perhaps ncver to return, or as if some of the children wcro sick, until suddenly some one looks op and cxclaitns, "Why, the clock's stoppod!" And immediately tlu ill-defiued forebodjngs dissipate, the shadow ol gloom melta away, and. as the winding-up procesa is completed, and the cheory tick-tiok recommences, the family cirele regains lts wonted buoyanoy of spirit-s and the mcnibers wonder wltal it was that made them feel so glooinv a few moiuentsbcfore. - ,
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Old News
Ann Arbor Democrat