Once upon a time, there...
Illustration
Once upon a time, there was a young lad who had inherited a gold watch. The watch was a work of art, being of a large variety of pocket watch, with an engraved lid and a long chain to wear upon a vest. The watch had been a retirement gift to the boy's great-grandfather, who had passed the watch to his son when he had died. In turn, the boy's grandfather had passed the watch to his son, but had not waited until his own death to do so. Instead, he made it a gift upon the birth of his first grandson, because he wanted to have the pleasure of seeing his son use it.
However, the son dreaded damaging the gold case, so he purchased a bell jar, and mounted the watch for display on his desk.
So, when the grandson inherited the watch, he was given the bell jar as well. For several years, it sat on the piano in the living room, until one day a visitor asked what the watch face looked like, since the case was closed. "I don't know," he answered. "Isn't that strange? I don't remember ever seeing it open. Dad had it just like this on his desk." So saying, he opened the bell jar.
The face of the watch was porcelain, painted with illuminated numbers and hands made of slender scrollwork. But even more surprising, when he wound the watch and adjusted the hands, the watch chimed each hour in a beautiful, bell-like tone. "How wonderful!" exclaimed the visitor. "And what a shame, that its voice has not been heard for over a generation!"
"You're right! It's a waste of my inheritance not to use it." And so saying, he fastened the chain across his vest, and placed the watch in his pocket, where it served him the rest of his life.
-- Herrmann
However, the son dreaded damaging the gold case, so he purchased a bell jar, and mounted the watch for display on his desk.
So, when the grandson inherited the watch, he was given the bell jar as well. For several years, it sat on the piano in the living room, until one day a visitor asked what the watch face looked like, since the case was closed. "I don't know," he answered. "Isn't that strange? I don't remember ever seeing it open. Dad had it just like this on his desk." So saying, he opened the bell jar.
The face of the watch was porcelain, painted with illuminated numbers and hands made of slender scrollwork. But even more surprising, when he wound the watch and adjusted the hands, the watch chimed each hour in a beautiful, bell-like tone. "How wonderful!" exclaimed the visitor. "And what a shame, that its voice has not been heard for over a generation!"
"You're right! It's a waste of my inheritance not to use it." And so saying, he fastened the chain across his vest, and placed the watch in his pocket, where it served him the rest of his life.
-- Herrmann
