New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-22
CURFEw MUST NOT RING TONIGHT.

tngland's sun was setting Ger the hills so far
s1,led the land with misty beauty at the close Of
And the last rays kissd the forehead Of man and
he with step 50 slow and weary, she with sunny
He with bowed head, sad and thoughtful, she with
lips so cold and white,
struggled to keep back the murmu.. "curfew
must not RIG tonight"
s'sexton" Bessies white lips ialtered pointing to
With its walls 80 tall and gloomy, walls SO dark
GIVE lover in that prison, doomed this very
AT the ringing Of the curfew, and no earthly help
is nigh
Cromwell will not come till sunset" and her face
As she spoke in husky whispers-'Curfew must
not ring tonight"
sfBessie," calmly spoke the sexton-every word
pierced her young heart
JAKE tnoasana cleaning arrows-hke . deadly
~Long, long years I've rung the curfew from that
Every evening Just at sunset it has told the tvi.
light hour;
have done my duty ever, tried to do it just and
How I'm old, will not miss it; girl, the Curfew
rings tonight"
Wild her eyes and pale her features, stern and
white her thou ghtful brow,
And within her hearts deep center Bessie made
She had listened while the judges read, without
AT the ringing of the Curfew-Basil Underwood
must die"
And her breath came fast and faster and her eyes
grew large and bright
One low murmur, scarcely spoken Curfew mue
not ring tonight"
She with light step bounded forward, sprang with.
in the cid church door,
Left the old man coming slowly paths he'd trod so
Not one moment paused the maiden, but with
cheek and brow aglOw,
Staggered up the gloomy tower, where the bell
Then she climbed the Shiny ladder, dark, without
one ray Of light,
Upward still. her pale lips saying, "Curfew ahau
not ring to night"
She has reached the topmost ladder Ger her hangs
the great dark bell,
And the awful gloom beneath her. like the path
way down to hell
See, the ponderous tongue 10 swinging it's the
hour of curfew now,
And the sight hath chilled her bosom, stopped her
breath and psled her brow.
sh. she Let it i9gf No. never her eyes flash
not ring to- ightW
ont she swung, far out, the city seemed q tiny
beil swung to and fro;
And the halfdeaf sexton ringing years he had not
heard the bell,
And he thought the twilight Curfew rang young
Basil's funeral knelE
Still the maiden cnging firmly, cheek and brow 30
pale and white
Etilled her frightened hearts wild beatine-"Cur.
few shall not ring tonight"
It was oer-the bell ceased swayint and tho
maiden stepped once more
Firmly on the damp old ladder where for hundred
years before
Human foot had not been planted; and what she
this night had done
Eh0uid be told long ages after-as the rays Of set
Light the sky with mellowibeautv, aged sires with
heads Of white
Tell the children why the Curfew did not ring that
one sad night.
Oef the distant hills came Cromwell; Bessie saw
him, and her brow,
Lately white with sickening horror. CLOVIS with |
sudden beauty now;
1t his feet she told her story. showed bet bands !
all bruised and torn,
and her sweet young face 30 haggard with LOOK
20 Sod and worn,
Touched his heart with sudden pitt-ht his eyes |
with misty light;
Go, your lover lives" cries Cromwell: "Cpffew |
shall not ring tonight" |