Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-09-25
By w. D. WALLACH,
JCBAL. THE RINGER

great black net work of trees stretched far
away on every side-the sombre web Of inter
twisted human passions and interests. in which.
year after year, many thousand souls had been
captured and destroyed
Sloping hills, with clear cut edges rose all
about the dark town, which seemed to be lying
at the bottom OF a vast purple goblet whose
rim, touched with the whiteness of approaching
day, looked as if they were brimming with the
foam Of some celestial wine Deem in the dis
tance rolled a long river, musical through the
night, and shaking back the mOODbeams from
its bosom, as if in play.
Ii was an old belfry, the belfry of St Fan
tasmos. 1t sprang from a vaulted arch with
four groinings, which hung directly over the
altar, 90 that one above in the bell room could
see, through the cracks in the stone ceiling the
silver lamps that lit the shrine, the altar-raiI-
lngs, the priest, the pentants, below. Old fat
moses chung to the weather beaten sides of the
belfry; and tho winds went in and out through
1t wheresoever they willed. From the yery
summit, which was pointed, there arose a tall
iron rod, on which stood a golden cock, with
head erect to catch the morning breeze with
feathers spread to bask in the morning sun. A
golden cock, said; alas, golden no longer
Wind and weather had used him badly: and he
had molted his splendor. Battered, and gray,
and rusty, with dragged tail and brokcn beak,
ne was no more the brave cock that he had
oeen OF yOre. he had a maIevOIent and dia-
bolical aspect lie looked as if he had made a
compact with the demons OF the night
How blame him, if he had ceased to be a.
amlaole cock For years he had done his duty
orayeiy to the town in all weathers, telling the
points OF the wind with unerring sagacity The
winds, furious at having their secrets BETRAYED
would often steal softly down upon him in the
disguise of delicate breeze and then burst
upon him with the roar of a lion, in tho hope of
tumbIng him from bis Sentincl's post
But they never caught him; for he was then
young and agile, and he glided round at the
slightest breath, SO that the winds never could
succeed IN coming upon his broadside but
went on howlIng with anger to sea, where they
wrecked ships and buried them under the blue
waves.
But the town neglected the poor cock, and he
was never Tegilded OF repaired, so that in time
MS Pivots grew rusty, and he could no longer
move with hls former agility Then the storms
prosecuted him, and the Equinox came down
on him sayagely twice a year. and buffetted
hlm 50 that he thought his last hour was come
aud those who passed by Saint Fantasmos ON
those tenpestuOus nights heard him shrieking
with rage, through the wild @riaI cOmbatS,
tall, thinking it the voice of demon high up
In the clouds, they crossed themselves and bur
ried home to bed
% the cock, and the belfry, and Jubal tho
Ringer, grew old together but Jubal was the
oldest OF all, for the human heart ages more
quickly than stone copper, and the storms
tnat aSsall 1T are hercer and sharper than the
winds or the rains
Jubal sat in the window of the belfry. look
ing over the black town, and moaning to him
seif The day had not yet risen, but was near
at hand.
This morn" he said, shaking his long hair.
winch was already sprinkled with gray, this
morn she will be wed. This morn she will stand
In 'front.' OF the altar below, the light from the
SILVER laInna shf L.
tnat love better than the moon; and her lover
Will put the gold ring upon her finger, and the
priest Will bless her with lifted hands while |
through the cracks in the vaulted Ceiling will
behold all this-I, who adore her-I, who have
loved her for years, and followed her with nv
eyes as she wandered through the fields in
May, toying with the hawthorn hedges herself
more fragrant, winter, purer than the blossoms
"nich she gathered. L, who used to spend the
early dawn trayersing the woods, gathering
the red Wild strawberries while the silver
deWs sull lay upon them, in order that might
place them secretly at her door. All she never
kne" no" In the cold winter nights sat in the
lork In the apple-tree outside her chamber
window, watching her light, and gazing on her
snadoW as 1t fell upon the blind. Sometimes
tne shadows would seem to lensthen, ami come
across the walk and climb the tree and /
Mouiu strive TO fold 1t In my arms, as if it was
my DeioYed In person but it would suddenly
IecolI and elude me, and L could do nothing
out Kiss the branches where it had fallen, with
my cold lips.
One day she went to gather white and vel
low Water-lllles, that swarm on the surface of
Pond- She held long crook in her hand,
with which she reached and endeayored To
bring them to shore. But they were cunning
and slippery, and did not wish 10 be captured
by even so fair q maid as she so when her
crook touched them, they ducked their pearIy
ana golden crests under the waters and escaped
coming up again all dripping and shining, and
seeming TO laugh at the eager girl Beiny
yexed at this, she stretched out her crook stiil
further, when the treschero rous bank gave way,
and my Agatha went down into the deep pond
was near-l was always near her, though
sne knew 1t not-and plunged in, and sought
ner among the loathsome weeds. | brought
her to shore and chafed her fair forehead. and
revived her Then when she had recovered, 1
SAID TO her: am Jubal the Ringer-I love
you, Agatha-will you make my life bappy
forever With a look Of wild horror she broke
from me, and fed to her home.
And L am despised, and she weds another.
% %uhlls inc blessings are being given and the
cnureh Is white with orange wreaths, and the
poor wait In the church for the nuptial bounty
l, who adore her, must sit aloft in this old bel.
Try, and ring out jubiant tones for the welded
pair
Aha they know not Jubal, the Ringer. I
can work the spells my mother worked and
N-S ~ tldt COLnpcl sDlTlLs. dRatla,
thou false one, and thou smooth checked lover
who dreamest perhaps Of her now, and thou,
sacred priest, who givest away to another that
which belongs to me, beware, for ye shall per-
ish"
Then Jubal laughed horribly, and spread his
arms out as If he would embrace the night, and
muttered certain strange sentences that were
terrible to hear
As he muttered, thero came from the west
huSe cloud OF bats that fastened themselves
against the sides Of the old beIfry, AMI there
was one Tor every stone, they were 50 numer-
Gus AND presently a cesseless clicking re-
sounded through the turret, as if myriads of
tiny iaoorers were plying their pickaxes; a hail
OF falling fragments OF mortar tinkIed contin-
1aily on the tin roofing of the Church of 81
fantasmosi and the bats seemed to eat into the
crsyices Of the old belfry, as if they were about
10 sleep forever in its walls
Presently the day rose. The sunbeams poured
over The edges of the hills as the molten gold
R9urs from the cauldron Of a worker in metals
The streets began 10 puIse with the 6rst thrnhs