But he was a precocious child, shrewd, observant, and thoughtful.

It was in the old watchmaker's shop that the boy, not yet a dozen years old, and already hard at work helping to earn his own living, conceived the plan of making a clock with his own hands and presenting it to the church attended by the family, which was situated in Forsyth Street between Walker and Hester.

The clock was finished in due time and set up in the church, where it ticked faithfully until the edifice was torn down, some forty years later.

Then it was returned to its maker in accordance with a promise made by the pastor when the gift was accepted.

In 1872 the opening number of the third volume of _The Young Catholic_ contained a good engraving of it, accompanied by a sketch descriptive of its career.
Although Father Hecker did not write the little story, it is so true both to fact and to sentiment that we make an extract from it.