Edgefield Advertiser

Telling People the Time Her Hobby.

"A queer woman lives up in New England where I spent my summer," said the artist. "Her greatest and so far as anyone knows her only delight is to tell people the time of day. This is all the more remarkable because she hasn't a clock in the house, and hasn't the slightest skill in judging the hour by the height of the sun. She lives with her children in a farm house which stands near the road. Some one suggested to me to ask her the time of day when passing, as it would give her great pleasure to reply. I did ask her, and she went back in the house apparently to find out. She soon returned and told me it was half past 2 o'clock, while really it was three hours later. I repeated my question several days later. She answered that she was very sorry, but her clock had stopped. I asked her the time every few days and always got queer or wrong answers. I didn't do it to make fun of her, but partly out of curiosity to learn what her reply would be and partly because every one said it made her happy. It was generally understood that she could not have told the time had she had a clock, and it tickled her vanity to have people think that she not only owned a timepiece, but knew how to use it. New York Tribune."