The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-06-20

''CURFEW Must NOT RING TO.
NIGHT"
BY ROSA A. HARTwICK.

From the Boston Commercial Advertiser]
Englands sun was setting Ger the hills SO ia
away, p
Filled the land with misty beauty at the clos
of one sad day;
And the last rays kissed the forehead of a maj
and maiden fair; 4
He with steps so slow and weary, she will
sunny, floating hair,
He with bowed head, sad and thoughtful, sh,
with lips so cold and white,
Struggled to keep back the murmur-"Curfev
must not ring tonight"
"Sexton," Bessie's white lips faltered, pointing
to the prison old,
With its walls so tall and gloomy, walls so darl
and damp and cold;
'.Pve lover in that prison, doomed this very
night to die,
At the ringing of the curfew, and no earthl,
help is nigh;
Cromwell II not be here till sunset" and he
face grew strangely white,
AS she spoke in husky whispers-"Curfew mus
, not ring tonight"
Bessie" calmly spoke the sexton, (every word
pierced her young heart
Like thousand cleaning arrows-ike d dead
ly poisoned dart,)
"Long. long years I've RING the curfew, from
that gloomy, shadowed tower,
Every evening, just at sunset, it has told tn
twilight hour;
1 have done my duty erer-tried to do it jus
and right, ...,-
Now Tn old will not miss it-girl; the curfev
rings tonight $3.50.
Wild her eyes and pale each feature, stern ant
white her thoughtful brow,
As within her hearts deep center Bessie made
solemn VOW. ..,
She had listened, while judges read, without {
tear OF sigh,
At the ringing of the curfew-Basil Underwood
MUST DIE. gsf i'.' EEET
And her breath came fast and faster, and hel
eyes grew large and bright,
One low murmur scarcely spoken-"Curfew
MUST NOT ring tonight" ~a,I
She with light step bounded forward, sprang
within the old church door, ..s
Left the Old man coming slowly ,paths he'd trod
SO oft before,
Not one moment paused the maiden, but with
cheek and brow aglow,
She gazed up the gloomy tower, where the bell
rang to and fro, --t~
Then she climbed the Shiny ladder, dark, with
out one ray of light,
Upward still, her pale lips saying-"Curfew
SHALL NOT ring tonight"
She has reached the topmost ladder; DER her
hangs the great dark bell,
And the awful gloom beneath her, like the
pathway down TO hell.
See, the ponderous tongue is swinging; It's the
hour of curfew now,
And the sight has chilled her bosom, stopped
her breath and paled her brow.
Shall she let it ring? No, never! her eyes fash
with sudden light,
As she springs and grasps it firmly-"Curfew
SHALL NOT ring tonight
Out she swung, far out; the city seemed tiny
a speck below,
There 'twixt heaven and earth suspended, as
the bell swung to and fro,
And the half deaf sexton ringing, years he had
not heard the belly r-
And he thought that twilight curfew rang young
Basil's funeral knell.
Still the maiden, clinginc firmly, cheek and
brow so pale and white,
Stilled her frightened hearts wild beating
a Curfew SHALL NOT ring tonight!
1t was oer-the bell ceased swaying, and the
maiden stepped once more
Firmly on the damp, old ladder, where for hun
dred years before as ss.,l.
Human foot had not been planted, and what
she this night had done, aa
Should be told long ages after, as the rays OF
setting sun
Light the sky with mellow beauty; aged sires
with heads Of white, '
Tell the children why the curfew did not ring
that one sad night
Ger the distant hills came Cromwell-Bcssie
saw him and her brow,
Lately white with sickening horror, glows with
sudden beauty now.
At his feet she told her story showed her hands
all bruised and torn,
And her sweet face 80 haggard. with q look so
sad and worn,
Touched his heart with sudden pity--it his
eyes with misty light,
go, your lover lives, cried Cromwell, "Curfew
SHALL Not ring tonight
M;oh