Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-08-04
From the Atlantic Monthly for July.
The Aiarm-E Bell of Atri.
BY HENRY w. LoNGFELLow.

At Atrl in Abruzzo, small town
OF ancient Roman date, but scant renown-
One of those little places that have run
| Half up the hill, beneath blazing sun,
| And then sat down to rest, as if TO say,
81 climb no further upward, come what may"
| The Re Giovanni, now unknown to fame,
So many monarchs since have borne the name,
| Had great bell hung in the market place,
Beneath a roof, projecting some small space,
BY way of shelter from sun and rain.
Then rode he through the streets with all hi:
train,
And, with the blast OF trumpets loud and long,
Made proclamation that whenever wrong
Was done to any man, he should but ring
The great bell in the square, and he, the king,
Would cause the Syndic to decide thereon
Such was the proclamation of King John.
How happily the days at Atn sped,
What wrongs were righted need not here be said
Suffice that, as all things must decay,
The hempen rope at length was worn away.
Unraveled at the end, and, strand by strand,
Loosened and wasted in the ringers hand,
Till one, who noted this in passing by,
Mended the rope with braids of briony,
So that the leaves and tendris OF the vine
Hung like a votive garland at shrine
By chance it happened that in Atri dwet
A knight with spur on heel nd arrnr1 - ''~l.,
Who loved TO hunt the wild boar IN the woods,
Who loved his falcons with their crimson hoods,
Who loved his hounds and horses and al sports
And probabilities of camps and courts;
Loved, or had loved them; for at last, grown old,
His only passion was the love Of gold.
To sold b;s bo~sos sold b;s hawks and hounds
Rented his vineyards and his garden grounds,
Kept but one steed, his favorite steed Of all,
To starve and shiver in a naked stall,
And, day by day, sat brooding in his chair,
Devising plans how best to hoard and spare.
At length he said "What is the use or need
To keep at my own cost this lazy steed,
Eating his head off in my stable here,
When rents are low and provender dear?
Let him go feed upon the public ways;
1 want him only for the holidays"
So the old steed was turned into the heat
or the long, lonely, silent, shadowless street;
And wandering in suburban lanes forlorn,
Barked at by dogs, and torn by brier and thorn
One afternoon, as in that sultry cline
| 1t is the custom in the summer time,
| With bolted doors and window shutters closed
| The inhabitants Of Atri slept or dozed;
When suddenly upon their senses fell
| The loud alarm of the accusing bell
| The Syndic started from his sweet repose,
| Turned on his couch, and listened and then rose
And donned his robes, and with reluctant pace
Went painting far in the marlet-place,
| Where the great bell upon its cross-beam swung
Rsiterating with persistent tongue,
i T.
| 'Some one hath done a wrong, hath done
| wrong :"
But ere he reached the belfry's light arcade,
He saw, OK thought he saw, beneath its shade,
No shape VI human form of woman born,
But poor steed, detected and forlorn,
| Who with uplifted head and eager eye
Was tugging at the vines of brony.
| ''Domeneddio !" cried the Syndic straight,
''This is the knight of Atris steed of state
He calls for justice, being sore distressed,
And pleads his cause as loudly as the best"
Meanwhile from street and lane noisy crowd
Had rolled together, like a summer cloud,
| And told the story o. the wretched beast
In fve-and-twenty different ways at ,st,
With much gesticulation and appeal
| To heather gods, in their excessive zeal.
The knight was called and questioned; N Eepl,
Did not confess the fact, did not deny
Treated the matter pleasant jest,
And set at naught the Syndic and the rest,
Maintaining in an angry undertone
That he should do what he pleased. with his own
And thereupon the Syndic gravely read
The proclamation of the king then said
"Pride goeth forth on horseback grand and gay
But cometh back on foot, and begs its way;
Fame is the perfume of heroe deeds.
| OF flower of chivalry, not OF weeds
These are familiar proverbs; but fear
They never yet have reached your knightly ear
What fair renown, what honor, WI at repute,
Can come to you from starving this poor brute
| He who serves well and speaks not merits more
Than they who clanor loudest at the door.
Therefore the law DEGREES that this steed
Served you in youth, hencefeEth you shall TAX
heed
To comfort his old age, and to provide
Shelter in STALL and food and field beside
The knight withdrew abashed the people all
Led home the steei in triumph to his stall.
The king heard and approved, and laughed II
glee,
And cried aloud: "Right well it pleaseth me
Church bells at best but ring us to the door.
But go not IN to mass; my bell doth more:
1t cometh into court and pleads the cause
VI creatures dumb and unknown to the laws
ana TINS shall make, in every Christian cline,
The bell OF Atri famous for all time.
| A HAUNTED HOUSE - Some Tom
months ago Mr.. Benjamin Folsom, IRON
Boston, hired the house No. so Coles st.
Jersey City, and has since occupied tbs
same. He states that during the .ntirs
period of his tenantcy his family has. beer
subjected to constant disturbance BIZ loud
noises, sounds of falling furniture, smash.