LESSON 54 THE HALL CLOCK

THE HALL CLOCK

1. The hall clock in its shining case

Stands tall and firm upon the floor,

And stares, with staid [1] and sober [2] face,

Straight through the panes above the door.

It sees the people in the street,

And, listening as they pass along,

It counts the tread of all their feet,

And ticks their pattering [3] into song.

2. Whate'er it sees or hears all day

It whispers o'er again at night;

Without a pause for rest or play,

It ticks and counts with all its might.

All in the dark inside the case

The pendulum for ever swings;

The hands creep round and round the face,

And every hour the hammer rings.

3. When we awake it calls upstairs,

Good-morning, Little Sleepy Head.

At night it rings us all to prayers,

And whispers when we troop to bed.

And when we all are sleeping sound,

It never rests throughout the night;

Its hands are going round and round,

And counting darkness into light.

AH! HOW WE WATCH IT, ALL THE FOUR!

4. It tells when father's work is done—

Ah! how we watch it, all the four;

Even baby knows and waits for One!

Then down we scamper to the door.

For this is Saturday, and soon

We shall be clambering round his knee;

He'll play with us all afternoon,

Or take us for a walk till tea.

5. At night we gather round the clock,

While father lets us see inside;

A small key clicks within the lock,

And lo! the door is open wide.

The pendulum, all in the dark,

Ticks loudly, swinging to and fro;

But while we watch with wonder, Hark!

Nine strikes, and it is time to go.

—GABRIEL SETOUN

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[1] staid: Quiet, fixed, grave.

[2] sober: Calm.

[3] pattering: The sound of quick footsteps.