Washington telegraph., 1856-05-28
For the Telegraph
THE BALL OF DEATH.

will read you simple tale in rhyme
OF a grave in the chuIchyard old,
Alone in the gloom of the large oak tree
That scatters shower OF gold
Beneath, when the frost is on the hills,
And the Autumn wind blows cold.
1t is long ago and the briers are thick
All over the pebbly way,
But see it all and hear it all,
Like the voices of yesterday,
When they made grave by the leafess oak,
For the beautiful Alice Ray.
The noiseless step of the years has shed
A gloom DER the ancient hail.
The dark, green mould to the ceiling clnes.
And the beetles over it crawl,
And the spider swings from beam to beam.
And the dust is over them ALL
1t was not so in the days Of old
There was Joy in the splendid rooms,
And sIlvery voices and waving curls
And dancing of snowy plumes,
And lips that shone as when Mornings eve
A palace of cloud illumes.
Fair Alice Ray had countless gold,
And lands all broad and green,
And hills that waved with the rustling corn,
And broad. rich wales between,
Where the Titan oak and the purple vine
Stretch over, tangled screen.
As her naughty step would tell,
And the sumptuous folds that ocr her form
In gold and in purple fell
And the poor would shrink as half in dread
At the glance of the naughty belle.
The SHOWS are bright on the icy hills,
Old Winter is stalking forth,
lie hath woven robe of glittering white
For the fettered and shivering earth,
There is painting of steeds and c.ansor o. bells,
And burst of boundless mirth
'To night will be the star; she said,
- will robe for the royal Ball,
And many gallant heart, know
Shall sigh in my si!ken thralI,
will float away through the may dance,
The envy and praise of ALL"
Alone with her soul and the Sleepless Eye,
A lone in her lofty room;
With the hurried beat of her anxious heart,
And an air that dropped pertnme,-
The lamp-light cleaning on crimson folds
All new from the Eastern loom.
She is glorious to her hearts desire
As she sinks in her downy chair,
Her mirror painteth the lustrous orbs
And the forehead white and fair,
And she glows with secret pride to gaze
On the beautiful image there.
She sees the rolling rinslets fall
Ger her brow in glossy veil,
aTo be the queen of the dance" she said,
Il know that shall not fail p
What shadow is stealing across the glass,
Why turneth the lady palea
SWhy tar.ies the lady Alice thus.''
At the noon of Eight. they said;
They lift the latch with trembling hand,
They pass with an anxious tread,
They shrek aloud and they reel aghast,
As they glare on the cold and dead
Wo's me, what freezing sight was that.
Alone In her lonely hall.
With frozen eye and fallen jaw,
So deaf to the walls of all,
A livid and stiff and horrible corpse
Tricked out for the flaming Ball
Upon her purple and stony lips.
And around her glaring eye,
Was lingering smile and lurking sneer
OF the pride that would not die,
As if she said ''ioT my skeleton groom,
What dashins bride am u
From all she envied and all she loved,
From all that was grand and gay.
Through the yawnng night and the reelins stars
With her lofty thoughts. away.
To the dreadful God and her sighted Christ,
Vent the beautiful Alice Ray.
No sign Of her fearful doom was given,
Nor time for a single prayer;
1t was not an hour TO think of Christ
When the Angel of Death was there,
To bear her thence with her heart of PRIDE
Right up through the frosty air
She did not shrek and she did not wIithe,
And the sleepers heard no moan:
With the shape that smiled in the mirrors face
With that and her soul, alone,
With never guide in moments space,
She oast 20 the dread unknown.
They shed no tear as they laid her down
The large. grim oak beneath
But the old mans eye had troubled look,
And the maiden held her BREATH
While they thought what fearful thing it wa
To dance at the Ball of Death.
T. II.
MINpES La