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put away Miss Eva’s pretty new apron;
see that Phillis is getting supper, and
then she’ll be ready to tell you how she
learned to tell the time of day.”
“ Tell Phillis to make fat biscuits to
night, Grandma,” called little Eva, as
Grandma passed into the next room, open
ed the drawer to an old-fashioned, but
neatly-kept bureau, and placed therein
Miss Eva’s pretty little apron ; and then
opening another door, which led into a
neatly-kept kitchen, she gave some direc
tions to the good-natured-looking negro
woman, who was putting large fat bis
cuits into an oven at a great roaring fire.
“ That’s right, Phillis,” laughed Grand
ma; “your Miss Eva wants fat biscuits
to-night.”
“Bless her little heart! she shall have
um,” replied Phillis, good-naturedly.
“ Now, Grandma, for the story !” shout
ed Harry and Eva in a breath, as she
opened the door. “ See, we have rolled
your big chair up before the fire, our ap
ples are done, and we can have a good
time,” said Master Harry.
“Mayn’t we have sugar on ’em, Grand
ma?” whispered Eva, climbing upon her
grandmother’s knee, as the old lady seat
ed herself in her chair.
“Certainly, my darling, you shall have
just as much sugar as you want,” and get
ting up, Grandma went to the cupboard,
and took from one of the upper shelves
an “old-time” China sugar bow!, with
heavy gilt bands, and flowers and birds
on it; also a plate of more recent date, a
knife, and several heavy, old-fashioned
silver spoons, with « Nichols ” engraved
upon the handles.
“ Get your stools, children. Now, then,
we are all ready,” concluded the old lady,
as Harry and Eva placed a stool upon
either side of her chair, and looked up
smilingly into her face.
“Now, Grandma!” said Eva, as she
smoothed down her apron with her little
chubby hands.
And, “Now, Grandma!” exclaimed Har
ry, as he drew the last apple from its hot
resting place upon the hearth, and pre
pared to peel them. “I'U pee l the apples
while you talk.”
Taking her knitting from the little bag
which hung in the chimney corner, Grand
ma commenced her story :
“When I was a little girl, no larger
than Eva, I heard my father talking to
my mother one day about getting a clock,
as he had no time-piece except his great
o and silver watch, which was as large al
most as a saucer.
“ A few days after this conversation, he
went to town, and in the evening return,
ed with a large eight-day clock in his
BURKE’S WEEKLY.
wagon —the same old clock which stands
there now, dear children. As I was an
only child, I was alone a great deal, and
spent the greater portion of my time out
in the yard—in the sunshine, if it was cold
weather, and in the shade, if it was warm
—crooning old nursery songs for my big
rag doll, and never feeling lonely, or wish
ing for other company. When the wagon
drove up to the gate, I was seated in my
little chair, under a great lilac bush, with
dolly in my arms, rocking and singing as
usual.
“As I saw the men prepare to lift the
great monster from the wagon, I dropped
dolly, and running to my father, asked
him what it was ?
“ ‘Why, it is a clock , Pussy,’ he answer
ed, chucking me under the chin.
“ ‘A clock! why, father, it’s ever so much
bigger than your watch!' I exclaimed.
“At this he laughed heartily, and turn
ing to the men, directed them to take it
in “the front room to the left,” and into
this very room they brought it, and here
it has stood ever since I was a very little
girl. Every time I would hear the pecu
liar whir it makes just before striking,
I’d take my stand before it, and watch it
with the greatest interest. But 1 cannot
express my delight when my father per
mitted me to look on at the “ winding
up.” He would unlock the door, and I
would watch with breathless attention
the going up of the great weights.
“ ‘Mary,’ he said to me one day, ‘ can
you tell the time of day yet?’
“ ‘No, sir,’ I answered.
“ ‘Well, you are quite large enough, and
if you will learn to tell the time while I’m
at the mill to-day, I’ll get you a pair of
those pretty red shoes you are so anxious
for, the very next time I go to town.’
“He then took a slate that I sometimes
used to draw dogs, and pigs, and hens up
on, and drawing a large circle on it—just
such as you draw, Harry, when you and
Eva want to play marbles—he commen
ced, and placed the figures round the cir
cle, leaving five little dots between each
one those he left for the minutes. He
then drew two marks for the hour hand
and minute hand, making one just a little
longer than the other, which he told me
was the minute hand. He then told me
to look at the clock on my slate and then
at the clock standing before me, and tell
him if they were alike. I answered that
they seemed so to me. He explained,
that while the minute hand went round
the circle, the hour hand traveled over
but one little space from one figure to an
other; that when the minute hand point
ed to twelve, the hour hand always point
ed to the hour of the day.
“He further explained, that when the
minute hand pointed to such and such a
figure, it was so many minutes past one
hour, or before another. For instance
the long hand is now at the figure eleven
what time is it, Harry?”
“ Five minutes to seven. It has been
just one hour since you asked me what
time it was.”
“That is right, my son,” continued
Grandma. “ Well, my father went to the
mill, and mother was first here and then
there, in and out, paying very little at
tention to me, but a great deal to her
household affairs. I drew my stool in
front of the clock and watched alternate
ly the clock and slate. Every time the
clock would strike, I would draw a min
ute hand at twelve, and an hour hand at
whatever hour the short hand pointed.
As the clock struck twelve, I drew a lorm
sigh of mingled relief and satisfaction.
“ ‘Well, Pet, can you tell the time of
day now ?’ exclaimed my father’s voice
close by.
I looked around, and he was standing
behind me, with a merry smile on his
pleasant face.
“Yes, father, I think I can.”
“ That was Tuesday. lie ahvays went
to town on Friday, and from Tuesday un
til Friday morning, he sent me to “see
what time” it v T as no less than a hundred
times. But I stood the test very well,
and of course obtained the pretty red
shoes, which I wore with great pride
and satisfaction.”
“ Won’t you fix my slate so, to-morrow,
Grandma, and let me learn to tell the
time of day ?” asked little Eva.
“ Your pa gave the old clock to you,
didn’t he, Grandma?” questioned Harry.
“ Yes, dear, as I was the only child,
everything, at my parents’ death, came to
me. Even my grandfather’s old rifle,
that ahvays hangs over the mantle. He
used that old rifle in the He volutionary
war, and when he was found dead he had
it still grasped in his hand.”
“And our poor papa was killed in the
Confederate army. Poor, dear papa, in
Heaven with the angels and dear mam
ma,” whispered little Harry, as his bright
tear-filled eyes turned to the portrait on
the wall.
“Grandma, to-morrow won’t you show
us dear papa’s sword and belt, with C. S.
A. on it ?” murmured little Eva, tremu
lously.
“Yes, darling,” replied the old lady, as
she folded her arms about her two orphan
grandchildren.
which is most valuable, is
most trifled with.