Sept, 8—Sunday is clock-winding day in our house. so it is quite natural that when I worked late last night, and gove myself a nightcap in the old armchair. I heard, a conversation exactly like this: Grandfather's Clock. "Torkfork-fork! These young people! Look at em running fast and loose: what do they think they are getting at? Having a good time maybe?" Siss Clock, from the Small Room. "Din -dong-dine-donz. vou-are-all-wrong. good-night-so-long. BONG-BONG" (Whirrs slightly and goes to sleep) Great-Grandfather's clock, (An ancient clock made of odd bits of brass. with one weight worked on a rope and only one hand). 'Ah-ha-ha: you younguns think yu'm vunny doan'bee?. Oi bin workin fifty year bever that young veller (pointing at Grandfather) started is business! Wot Oi warnts ter know is, wot's that busy little Bee doin' over theer? She's fast. that's wot she is!" (He is pointing at the little French clock). Little French Clock, *Oh-la-la: oh-la-la! I? Moi qui vous parle? Fast? Ow can a gen be fast among zese ancients?" (She seems to swish her skirts as she points her pretty little hand at Two), An American Waltham, "Atter-girl! Pin watching' out for you! Quite right, it's two, (Pointing hand at Great-grandfather)—As for you old one-arm. wadderver think yer doin' in the clock busi ness with only one pointer? How did yer ge! thata: Great-Grandfather, "Ah-ha. ah-ha: In moi young days we did dent ave ter worry: ws "ad one and. ter give the hours one end and the kwarters other end: and that wuz Tear enough for we: us did dent ave no drains ter catch" (He probably meant trains. but the floods have worried him). Grandfather. "Right you be. Father! But by the time I took over your business that French Napoleon was whizzing round like one o'clock, and our stage-coaches got so particular we had to add a minute-hand: since then times" have been as hard as this—BING-BING." Voice from wooden clock upstairs, "CUCK-OE (that's you) CUCK-OE (it's two): CLICK"—(as it shuts gate with a bang). So I woke up and went to bed. wondering if anybody had ever heard clocks talking like that—Es.w.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.