Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1872-03-07
Selected Miscellany.
ZINC TOLNER AND ELSIE.

V,ese over heather doom-rlngs ana gray stohes
:, little Christian city stands the church Of vor
:, Merry n mood King volmer sat, forgetful of his
A.. de as the Goose of Gold that brooded on his
tower.
TIN spake the King to Henrik, his young and
faithful squire:
.pu'st trust thy little Elsie, the maid Of thy
desire p
aoi all the men in Denmark she loveth only me I:
As rue to me is Elsie as thy Lily is TO thee"
Ieul laughed the King: Tomorrow shall bring
another day.
VIM myself will test her; she will not say me
nay"
raeeai the lords and gallants, that round about
vap,ed ali their heads in concert and smiled as
courtiers should.
nc gray lark sings DER yordingborg and on the
I ancient town
rom the tall tower of valdemr the Golden Goose
he yellow grain is waving in the pleasant wind of
morn,
Of hunters horn.
the garden Of her father little Elsie sits and
And, singing with the early birds, her daily task
nav tulips bloom and sweet mint curls around her
garden-bower
But she Is sweeter than the mint ana ialref thah
the flower.
About her form her krtle blue clings lovingly and
white
As snow, her loose sleeves only leave her small,
round wrists in sight:
iBeow the modest petticoat can only half conceal
1.-The motion Of the fairest foot that ever tnrned
wheel.
The cat sits purring at her side bees hum in sun
shine warm:
But look she starts she lifts her face, she shades
it with her arm.
And bark train of horsemen, with sound OF
Come ieaping DER the bitches come trampling
n down the corn
Merrily rang the bridle-reins, and scarf and plume
AS fast beside her fathers gate the riders held
their way;
And one was brave in scarlet cloak, with golden
spur on heel
And. az he checked his foaming steed, the maiden
checked her wheel.
"All hail among thy roses, the fairest rose 70 me
For weary months in secret my heart mas iohSeu
for thee ~
What noble knight was this What words for
modest maiden's ear
She dropped a lowly courtesy of bashfulness and
fear.
She lifted up her spinning wheel she fain would
Trembling in every Amb, her cheek with bushes
crinsoned DER.
tsNay, fear me not, the rider SAID, - oher heafC
and hand,
about ME stand.
81 grant you time to think of this, to answer as
you may
For tomorrow, little Elsie, shall b1ng anothef
day.
He spake the old phrase slyly as, glancing round
his train,
He saw his merry followers seek to hide their smiles
in vain.
"The snow of pearls I'll scatter in your curls Of
golden hair,
I'll line with furs the velvet of the kirtle that you
wear;
All precious gems shall Irvine your neck and in
chariot gay
You shall ride, my little Elsie, behind four steeds
of gray.
"And harps shall sound and flutes shall play, and
brazcn lamps shall glow
On marble floors your feet shall weave the dances
to and fro.
At frosty eventide for us the blazing hearth shall
shine,
While, at our ease we play at draughts' and drink
the blood-red wine"
roguish smile shone in her eye and on her lip
found place.
Back from her low white forhead the curls of gold
And lifted up her eyes to his steady and clear and
blue
ST am lowly peasant, and you gallant knight
l will not trust love that soon may cool and turn
to slight
If You would wed me henceforth be peasant, not
lord;
Ibid You hang upon the wall your tried and tTlsty
sword"
"To please you. Elsie, will lay keen Dynadel
away,
And in its place will swing the scythe and NOV
y0ur fathers hay"
"Nav. but your gallant scarlet cloak my eyes can
never bear -,
vadmal coat, so plain and gray, is all that you
Tiust wear.
swell, vadmal will I wear for you,'' the rider
sand on the Lords high altar III lay my scarlet
cloak.
uBut mark" she said "no stately horse my peas
ant love must ride,
yoke of steers before the plow is all that he must
guide"
The knight looked down upon his steed " Wen,
let him wander free:
No other man must ride the morse that ms oeeh
Henceforth ri tread the furrow and to my oxen
II only little Elsie beside my piow viii wall"
"You must take from out your cellar cask Of wine
and flask and can
The homey mead brew you may serve peasant
man." 80, =
"Most willingly. fair Esie I'll drink that mead OF
And leave my minstrels thirsty throat to drain my
generous Wine.
snow break your shield asunder, and shatter sign
Unmeet for peasant-wedded arms, your knightiy
knee across. .h.so
And pull me down your castle from top to base
And let your pillow trace burrows in the ruins OF
your ha1l ~
Then smiled he with lofty pride right wen al
last he knew
The maiden OF the spinning was to her tro''i-
"Ah, rognlsh little Elsie you act yonr part fuil
well: n,,,
castle dwell !
'The lions ramping on that shield between the
hearts afiame, -, -
ancient name. sor
For know that / am Volmer dwell in yonder
towers. -. III,
Who plows them plows up Denmark. this goodly
home of oars
tempt no more, fair Elsie your heart kno" is
true; a and
4 1anS