i8 



MARK TWAIN'S SKETCHES. 



time, and the head of the establishment took it out of my hand and proceeded to 

 set it for me. Then he said, " She is four minutes slow — regulator wants pushing 

 up." I tried to stop him — tried to make him understand that the watch kept per- 

 fect time. But no; all this human cabbage could see was that the watch was four 

 minutes slow, and the regulator must be pushed up a little ; and so, while I danced 

 around him in anguish^ and implored him to let the watch alone, he calmly and 

 cruelly did the shameful deed. My watch began to gain. It gained faster and 

 faster day by day. Within the week it sickened to a raging fever, and its pulse 



went up to a hun- 

 shade. At the end 

 had left all the 

 town far in the 

 fraction over thir- 

 the almanac. It 

 vember enjoying 

 Oc tob er leaves 

 It hurried up house 

 and such things, in 

 that I could not 

 to the watchmaker 

 asked me if I had 

 paired. I said no, 

 any repairing. He 

 vicious happiness 



dred and fifty in the 

 of two months it 

 timepieces of the 

 rear, and was a 

 teen days ahead of 

 was away into No- 

 the snow, while the 

 were still turning, 

 rent, bills payable, 

 such a ruinous way 

 abide it. I took it 

 to be regulated. He 

 ever had it re- 

 it had never needed- 

 looked a look of 

 and eagerly pried 



the watch open, and then put a small dice box into his eye and peered into its. 

 machinery. He said it wanted cleaning and oiling, besides regulating — come in a 

 week. After being cleaned and oiled, and regulated, my watch slowed down to- 

 that degree that it ticked like a tolling bell. I began to be left by trains, I failed 

 all appointments, I got to missing my dinner; my watch strung out three days' 

 grace to four and let me go to protest ; I gradually drifted back into yesterday, 

 then day before, then into last week, and by-and-by the comprehension came upon 

 me that all solitary and alone I was lingering along in week before last, and the- 



