River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-03-24
"Curfcvv Must Not King
To. Night"

To. night"
highlands sun was setting DER the hills so
far away,
Filled the land with misty beauty at the
close Of one sad day;
And the last rays kissed the forehead o.
man and maiden fair
lie with step so slow and weary, she WIN
sunny, floating hair;
He with bowed head, SAL AID ,houghiIu',
she with lips so cold anu white,
Struggled TO keep back the murmur, CUR
few must not ring tonight.
"sextop," Bessie's white lips faltered,
pointing TO the prison old
With lis walls o tall and gloomy, walls so
dark, g, damp and cold,
"I've lover in that prison, doomed TINS
very night to die,
At the ringing of the Curfew, ana no
earthly help is nigh,
Cromwell will not come TIL sunset, ana
her face grew strangely white
AZ she spoke in husky whispers, 'Curie"
must not ring tonight"
Bessie" calmly sposs the sexton every
word pierced her young heart
Like thousand cleaning arrJws-like
deadly pois oned dart;
Long, long years I've rung the Curfew
from that gloomy, Swallowed tower;
Every evening, just at sunset, u has told
the twilight hour;
have done my duty ever, tried TO do 1t
just and right,
Now I'm old will not miss it; girl, the
Curfew rings to-nIZlu
Wild her eyes anu pa,e her features, stern
and white her thoughtful brow,
And within her hearts deep center, Bessie
made a solemn vow;
She had listened while The judges read,
without tear or sigh,
AT the ringing of the Curfew, Basil I'm
derwooG must de
And her breath came fast and faster; and
her eyes grew large and bright
One low murmur scarcely spoken" Cur
few must not ring tonight"
She with light step bounded forward,
sprang within the old church door.
Left the Of man coming slowly, paths he'd
tread so oft before;
Not one moment paused the maiden, but
with cheek and brow aglow,
Staggered up the gloomy tower, where the
bell swung 20 and fro;
Then she climbed the Shiny ladder, dark,
without one ray of light,
Upward still, her pale lips saying, "Curfew
hall not ring tonight"
She has reached the topmost ladder, Ger
her hangs the great dark bell.
And the awful gloom beneath her, like the
pathway down to hell;
See. the popderou5 tongue is swinging, tits
the hour of Curfew now
And the sight has chill. j her bosom. stop'd
her breath and paled her brow.
She let il ring? No, never! her eyes Hash
with sudder light,
AZ she springs anil grasps il irmly-"Cur-
few shall moi riag to-night."
Out she sN Jung, far on, the city seemed a
tiny speck bel ";
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 beli,
And he thought the twilight Curfew rang.
young Baslrs funeral knell;
Still the maiden clinging firmly, cheek and
brow S, pale and white,
Stilled her frighten ed hea IT'S wild beating
--"Ca.few siaAaotriny to aighG'
II was oer-the bell ceased swaying. ami
the maiden stopped once more,
Firmly on the damp OLD ladder, where for
hundred years before,
Human foot had no, been planted, and
what she this night had done.
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 Cnrfew did not
ring that one sad night.
Ger the distant hills came Cromwell; Bes-
sic 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 bruis ed and torn,
And her sweet young See so haggard, with
look SO sad and worn.
Touched his heart with sudden pity, lit
his eye with misty light;
$50, your lover hyes," cried Cromwell
''Curfew shall not ring to night"