The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-06-17
Poetry,
The Old Chapel Bell:
A BALLAD.
by JOHN G. SAKE, OF VT.


ny JOHN G. SAKE, OF VI
Within church yard 3 sacred ground,
Whose fading tablets tell
Where they who built the village church
In solemn silence dwell,
Half hidden in the earth, there lies
An ancient Chapel Bell.
, Broken, decayed and covered DER
With Wondering leaves and rust;
Its very name and date concealed
Beneath cunkering CRUST
Forgotten-like its early friends,
Who sleep in neighboring dust
Yet was it once a trusty Bell,
Ofmost sonorous lung,
And many joyous wedding peal,
And many kncll had rung,
Ere time had cracked its brazen sides,
And broken its iron tongue.
And many youthful heart had danced
In merry Christmas time,
To hear its pleasant roundelay,
Sung out in ringing rhyme;
And many a worldly thought been checked
To list its Sabbath chime.
A vouth-a bright and happy boy,
One sutry summers day,
Fatirucd, nj last, with bat and ball,
Glanced hitherward to stray
To read little book he had
And rest him from his play.
"A soft and shady spot is this
The rosy youngster cried,
And sat him down, beneath tree,
That ancient Bell beside;
lBut, hidden in the tangled grass,
The Bell he 'er esPied)
Anon, a mist fell on his book,
The letters seemed TO stir,
i en- ~ Ii, a. sirIt
The boy essayed to spur,
The macy page was quickly lost
Beneath a cloudy blur.
And while he marvclled much at this,
And wondered how it came,
lie felt a languor creeping DER
His Young and weary frame,
And heard voice, gentle voice,
That plainly spoke his name.
That gentle voice that named his name,
Enhanced him like a spell,
Upon his ear, so very near
And suddenly il fell;
Yctsoft and musical, as t were
The whisper Of a Bell.
"since last / spoke the voice began
"Srems many drcary year!
.{Albeit, t is only since thy birth
I've lain neglected here)-
Pray list, while rchearse tale
BenOONCS inee mQCn 10 near.
4sOnce, from yon ived tower, watched
The villagers around,
And gave to all their joys and gricfs
A sympathetic sound
{But most are sleeping, now, Within
This consecrated ground)
81 used 10 ring my merricst peal
To hail the blushjng bride;
sadly tolled for men cut down
II, md NIL Drilp.
And solemnly-not mournfully-
When little children died
.sBut, chief, my duty was to bid
The villagers repair,
On each returning Sabbath morn,
Unto the House Of Prayer,
And inSIis own appointed place,
The Saviour mercy share.
"Ah! we'll mind me ola child
A gleesome, happy maid,
Who came, with constant step, to church,
In comev garb arrnyed,
And kuelt her down full solemnly,
And pentcntly prayed
sand oft, when church was done, l marked
That little maiden near
This pleasant spot, with book in hand,
AS you are sitting here
She read the Story ofthe Cross.
And wept with grief sincere!-
s'Ycurs rolled oway,-and beheld
The child TO woman grown;
Her cheek was fnirer, and her eyel
With brighter lustre shone,
But childhood's truth and innocence
Were still the maiden own,
AZ never rang nerrier chime
Than when, joyous bride,
She stood beneath the sacred porch,
A noble youth beside,
And plirhteJl him her maiden troth,
In maiden love and pride
81 never tolled deeper kncll,
Than when in after years,
They laid herin the church yard here,
Where this low mound appears-
,(The very grave, my boy, that you
Are watering now with tearsD
<sH is My JFotaerl'' gentie'boy,
That claims this tale of mine
Thou art flower whose fatal birth
Destroyed the parent vine!-
a precious flower art thou, my Child
Two LIVES WERE GIVEN FOR THINE!
"One was thy sainted mothers, when
She gave thee mortal birth;
And one thy Saviour's when, in death,
He shook the solid earth;-
Go! boy, and live as may befit
Thy life exceeding worth"
The boy awoke, as from q dream,
And thoughtful, looked around,
But nothing saw, save AZ his feet,
His mothers lowly mound,
iAnd, by its side, that ancient Bell
Half-hidden in the ground!
BY a young Lady B orn Blind.