Miscellany: The Discontented Pendulum

An old clock that had stood for fifty years m a farmer7 kitchen without giving its owner anv cause of complaint, early one summer's mórning, before the famüy waa itirring, suddenly Btopped. Upon this, the dial-plate, (if we may credit the fable) changed countenance with alarm; ne hands mnde an ineffectual effort to continue their course; the wheels remained motionlesa with surprise; the weiffhts hung speech - less; each member feit disposed to lay the blame on the others. At length the dial instituted a formal inquiry as to the cause of the Btagnation; when hands, wheels, weights, with one voice, protested their inriocence. But now a faint tick was heard below, from the pendulum, who thus spoke: - "I confesa mysclf to be tlie eole cause of the present stoppage; andam willing, for the general satisfaction, to assign my reasons. The truth is, that I am tired of licking." Upon hearing ihis, the old clock became so enraged that it wa8 on the point of striking. "Lazy wire" exclaimed the dial-plate, holding up its hands. "Verygood!" replied the pendulum, "it is vastly easy for you, Mistrssa Dial, who have always, as every body knows, eet yourself up above me - it is vastly easy for you, I say, to accuse other people of laziness! You, who have had nothing to do all the days of you r life but to Btare people in the face, and to amuse yourself with watching all ihat goes on in the kitchen. Think, I beseech you, how you would like to be shut up for life in this dark closet, and wag backwards and forwards, year after year as I do ." "As to that," said the dial, "s there not a window in your house on purpose for you to look through?" "For all that," resumed the pendulum, it is very dark: and although there is a window, I dare not stop, even for an instant, to look out. Bcsides, I am really weary of my way of life; and if you pleaee, l'll teil you how I took this disgust at my eaiployment. This morning I happened to be calciilating how many times I Bhould have to tick ia the course only of the next twenty-four hours: perhaps some of you, above there, can give me the exact euro. The minuto hand, being quick at figures, instantly replied, { eight-flút thousajid four hundfQd tyrres.""Exactly so," replied the pendulum: "well, I appeal tó you al], if the thought of this was not onough to fatigue one? and when I began to multiply the Btrokes of one day by tbose of months and years, renlly it is no wonder if I feit discouraged at the prospect; so after a great deal of reasoning and hesitation, thinks F to myself, I'll stop." The diai could scarcely keep its countenance during this harangue; but resuming ita gravity, thuB replied:- "Dcar Mr. Pendulum, [ am really astonished that 6uch a useful, industrióus person as yourself should have been overeóme by this sudden suggestion. Tt is true you have done a great fleal of work in your time. So we have all, and are likely to do; and, although this may fatigue ue to think of, thequeslion is, whether it will fatigue us to do; would you, now, do me the favor to giveabout huif a dozen strokes, to illóstrate my argument"?" The pendulum complied, and ticked eix limes at its usual pace. - '} Now," resumed ihe dial, "may I be allowed to inquire, if that exertion was at all fatigning or disagreeable to you?" "Not in the least," replied the pendulum; - "it is not of six strokes that I complain, nor of 6ixty, but of müliotts." "Very good," replied the dial; "but recollect that although you may think of a million strokes iu an instant, you are required to execute but one; and that however often you may hereafter have to swings a moment will always be given you to swing in." "That coneideration staggers me, I con fess," said the pendulum. "Then I hope," resumed the dial-plate, "wo shall all immediately return to our duty; for the maida will lie idle till noon if we stond thus." Upon thif, the weighte, who had never been accused of light conduct, used all their influence in nrging him to proceed : when as with one consent, the wheels began to turn, the hands began to move, the pendulum began to wag, and, to its credit, ticked as loud as ever; while n beam of the rising sun that streamed through a hole in the kitchen 6hutter, shining full upon the dial-plate, it brightened up as if nothing had been the matter. When the farmer came down to breakfast that morning, upon looking at the dock he declared that his watch had gained half an hour