The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1874-10-01
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1874.
@lOURFEW MUST NOT RING TO.
NIGHT"

In the time OF Cromwell, q young
soldier, for some offence, was condemned
TO die, and the time of his death was fix
ed sat the ringing of the curfew." Nat
11rally, such a doom would be fearful
and bitter to one in the years of his hope
and pride, but to this unhappy youth
death was doubly terrible, since he was
soon to have been married to beautiful
.yound lady, whom he had long loved.
The lady, who loved him ardently in re-
zurn, had used her utmost efforts to
avert his fate, pleading with the judges,
and even with Cromwell himself, but all
IN vain. In her dispair she tried to
bribe the old sexton not to ring the bell,
a1ut she found that impossible. The
hour drew near for the execution. The
preparations were completed. The Of
Ulcers of the law brouoh bit forth the pri-
>soner, and waited while the sun was set
ting for the signal from the distant bell
tower To the wonder of everybody it
aid not ring! Only one human being
at that moment knew the reason. The
reason. The poor girl, half wild with
the thought of her lovers peril, had
crushed unseen up the winding stairs,
and climbed the ladders into the belfry
Aoft and sliced the tongue of the bell.
She old sexton was at his place, prompt
10 the fatal moment. He threw his
weight upon the rope, and the bell,
obedient to his practiced hand, reeled
sand swung to and fro in the tower. But
che brave girl kept her hold, and no
-xsound issued from it's metallic lips.
again and again the sexton drew the
rope, but with desperate strength the
young heroine held ON. Every moment
made her position more fearful every
sway of the bells huge weight threaten
-sed to fling her through the high tower
window but she would not let go. At
last the sexton went away. Old and
nlEeaf, he had not noticed the curfew gave
1E2o peal. The brave girl decended from
the belfrey, wounded and trembling.
she hurried from the church to the place
xoe execution. Cromwell himself was
ailere, and was just sending to demand
-Uhy the bell was silent.
@Eowly Englands sun sitting DER the hilI-tops
milling ali the land with beauty at the close of one
sad day,
Il nd the last rays kissed the forehead of and
EEs with footsteps slow and weary, she with sunny
floating hair:
Ike with bowed head, sad and thoughtful, she with
lips all cold and white,
@a-ruggling to keep back the murrnur,-
'Curfew must not ring tonight"
=assexton,9 Bessies white lips fatered, pointing to
the prison old,
with its turrets tall and gloomy, with its walls
dark, damp and cold,
We a that prison, doomed this very night
ut the ringing of the curew and earthly help is
nigh
->Cromwell will till sunset" and her lips
grew strangely white
as she breathed the husky whisper
"Curfew must not ring tonight
Sessie calmly smoke the sexton every word pierc-
ed her young heart.
Alike the piercing of an arrow, like deadly poisoned
dart.
<Icng, long years I've rung the Cu-few from that
gloomy Swallowed tower
E&Eery evening, just at sunset it has told the twi
light hour;
L have done my duty ever, tried to do it just and
-Sf5Csg I'm old still must do it,
Curfew, it must ring tonight
7id her eyes and pale her features, and white
her thoughtful brow,
LslzE within her secret bosom Bessie made solemn
@5sp4 had listened while the Judges read without
tear sigh
-4st the ringing of the curfew, Basil Underwood
must die
4--d her breath fast and faster, and her eyes
grew large and bright
Lzl1 an undertone she murmured,-
"Curfew must not ring tonight"
diae with quick steps bounded forward sprung with
in the old church door,
LEFT the old man threading slowly paths so oft he'd
trod before;
~ttor one moment paused the maiden, but with eye
and cheek aglow,
geuuted up the gloomy tower, where the bell swung
-Irh she climbed the dusty ladder which fell no
oflight
Up and up,-her white lips saying
"Curfew shall not ring tonight
ssae had reached.the opmost ladder, DER her hangs
the great dark bell;
Awful is the gloom beneath her. like a pathway
down to hell,
L. the ponderous tongue is swinging tits the no mr.
and the sight has chilled her bosom, stopped her
breath and paed her brow.
-55Ssil she let it ring? No. neveri Flash her eyes
with sudden light
And she springs and grasps it firmly
'Curfew shall not ring o-night."
SESr she swung. far out the city seemed speck of
light below,
rwixt heaven and earth her form suspended as the
bell swung and fro,
Ad the saxton at the bellrope, old and deaf heard
not the BELL
z he thought it still ringing fair young Basils
funeral knell.
Ss:Iu the maiden chung most firmly, and with trem-
bling lips and white,
-jis4id to hush her hearts wild beating,
tCurfew shall not ring toni Shit"
ESt DER the bell ceased swaying and the maiden
stood once more
1zz-saly the dark old ladder, where for hundred
Ezz1uan foot had not been planted The brave deed
that she had done
St oe tou long ages aiter, as the rays OF setting
aeuld Hume the sky with beauty; aged sires with
heads of white.
sE-ascg should tell the little childred,
Curfew did not ring that night.
':Ees- the distant hills Cromwell; Bessie sees
him, and her brow,
GSE@s ofhope aud full of gladness, has no anxious
traces w.
his feet she tells her story shows her hands all
bruised and torn;
xz3 her face sweet and pleading yet with sorrow
pale and worm
1ched his heart with sudden pity lit his eye with
misty light
Ss-ss your,over lives" said Cromwell.
"Curfew shall not ring tonight
Tt will be pleasant for Reformer
Schmidt to find his brother Reformer
We'll in the Senate, should they both
xss into that body next winter. How
ssraciously the gentleman from Mantle
l;s-tcx, q, IL, biz,