Western Reserve chronicle and weekly transcript of the times. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1854-1855, 1855-03-07

I
In fair village, little known,
She dwelt-so runs the tale-alone.
| A widowed bride, yet oh so bright,
Shone through her mist of grief, hel
charms;
They said it was the loveliest sight,
She with her bnby in her arms.
The Earl, one summer morning, rode
By the sea-shore where she abode,
Again she came-,he vision sweet
Drew him reluctant to her feet
Fierce must the struggle in his heart
Have been between his love and pride,
Until he chose that wondrous part,
To ask her 10 become his bride.
Yet ere his noble name she bore,
He made her vow that nevermore
She would behold her child again,
But hide his name and hers from men.
The trembling promise duly spoken,
All links of the low past were broken,
And she arose TO take her stand
Amid the mobiles of the land.
Then all would wonder-could it be
That one so lowly born as she,
Raised 10 such height of bliss, should seem
Still living in some weary dream?
'Tis true she bore with calmest grace
The honors of her lofty place,
Yet never smiled, in peace or Joy,
Not even 10 greet her princely boy.
She heard, with face of white despair,
The cannon Numbering through the air,
That she had given the Earl an heir.
Nay even more, (they whispered low,
As if they scarce durst fancy SOL
That, through her lofty welded life,
No word, no tone, betrayed the wife.
Her look seemed ever in the past;
Never 10 him it grew more sweet;
The self-same weary glance she cast
Upon the greyhound at her feet,
As upon him who bade her claim
The crowning honor of his name.
This gossip, if old Walter heard,
He checked it with a scornful word:
never burst snch tales repeat;
He was too serious and discreet
To speak of what his lord must do.
Besides, he loved my lady too:
And many a time, | recollect,
They were together in the wood
He, with an air of grave respect,
And earnest look, uncovered stood.
And though his speech | never heard,
(Save now and then louder word,)
| saw he spake as none but one
She loved and trusted burst have done;
For Oft watched them in the shade
That the close forest branches made.
Till slanting golden sunbeams came
And smote the fr-tress into flame,
A radiant glory round her lit,
Then down her white robes seemnd to fit,
Gliding the brown leaves on the ground,
And all the feathery ferns around.
While by some gloomy pine she leant
And he in earnest talk would stand,
| saw the tear-drops, as she bent,
Fall on the flowers in her hand.
Strange as it seemed and seems to be,
That one so sad, so cold as she,
Could love little child like me
Yet 50 it was, | never heard
Such tender words as she would say,
Or murmurs, sweeter than a word,
Would breath upon me as ] lay.
While /, in smiling joy, would rest,
For hours, my head upon her breast.
Our neighbors said that none could see
Iu me The common childish charms,
$50 grave and still | used TO be,
And she held me in her arms, yet
In fond clasp, so close, so tight,-
| often dreamed of it al night.
She babe me tell her all-no other,
My childish thoughts e'er cared to know
For FL never knew nv mother:
| was an orphan long ago.
And could all my fancies pour,
That gentle loving face before.
She liked 10 hear me tell her all /;
How that day had climbed the tree,
To make the largest ir-cones fall
And how one day hoped to be
A sailor on the deep blue sea
She loved to hear it all
Then wondrous things she used to tell,
Ofthe strange dreams that she had known.
| used TO love TO hear them well;
If only for her sweet low tone,
Sometimes so sad, although l knew
That such things never could be true.
One day she told md such tale
1t made me grow all cold and pale.
The fearful thing she toldi
Or poor woman mad and wild
Who coined the life blood of her child,
Who, tempted by fiend, had sold
The heart out of her breast for gold.
But, when she saw me frightened seem,
She smiled, and said ii was dream.
How kind, how fair she was how good
| cannot tell you. III could Thought
You, too, would love her. The mere
OF her great love for me has brought
Tears in my eyes /: though far away,
1t seemed as it were Yesterday.
And Just as when look on high
Through the blue silence of tie sky.
Fresh stsrsshine out, and more and more.
Where | could see so few before.
So, the more steadily gaze
Upon those far-of misty days, Istart.
Fresh words, fresh tones, fresh memo orie,
Before my ewes and in my heart.
/ can remember how one day
Talking in silly childish way)
| said how happy | should be
If | were like her son--as fair,
With just such bright blue eyes as he,
And such long locks of golden hair.
A dark smile on her pale face broke,
And in strange solemn words she spoke
my own, my darling one-no, no