The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-08-13
Aprhg
acURFEW MUSTNO7 RING 40.



aCURFEW NUSTNO1 RING TO
,rur. NIGHT.
I'm tbe time Of Cromwell young soldier, ior
some offence. was condemned to die, and the time
NM, death was fixed "at the ringing Of the cur
few" Naturally such a doom would be iearial
and bitter to one in the years OF his nope ana
prde. but TO this unhappy youth death was douoiy
terrJble since he was soon TO have been married
toa beautiful Young lady whom he had long low
"a The lady who loved him ardenuy In return,
bsd nsed her utmost efforts toayert his fate plead
inc with the Judges and even with Cromwell him
self hut all In vain. In her despair she uled 70
bribe the old sexton not to ring the bell, but she
f,rnd that inpossible. The hour drew near for
the execution. The preparations were completed
The officers of the law brought forth the prisoner
and waited. while the sun was setting Tor the sig
nal from the distant bell-tower To the wonder oil
everybody. It did not ringl Only one human be
ing nj that moment knew the reason. The poor
girl balfwld with the thoughto her lovers peril
had rushed. unseen, up the winding stairs, and
climbed the ladders into the belfy loft and seized
the tongue of the bell. The old sexton was IN his
plaee. prompt to the fatal moment He threw his
weight upon the rope, and thebell, obedient to his
practiced hand reeled and swund to and no IN
the tower. But the brave girl kept her hold ana
no sound issued nom its metallic lips Again and
egain the sexton drew the rope, butwith desperate
strength the young heroine held on. Every mo-
ment made her position more fearful every
sway Of the bells huge weight threatened TO hins
her through the high tower window but she
would not let 20. Atlast the sexton went away
Old and deaf he had not noticed that the curieW
gave no peal. The brave girl descended nom the
belfry, wounded and trembling, She hurried
from the church to the place ofexecution. CFon-
well himself was there, and was Just sending to
demand why the bell was SILENT
Slowly Engands sun was setting DER the hil'ops
Filling ali the land with beauty atthe close ofone
And me last rays kissed the forehead Of a man
and maiden tairi-- ~ .,,,,,,,.
He with footsteps slow and weary she with sunny
floating hair ,,-,,,,, .ho ,,,,,
He with bowed head, sad ana thOuSntlulis sne WAN
lips all cold and white,
Struggling to keep back the murmur,-, ...
"Curfew must not ring tonight
"sexton" Bessies white lips faltered, pointing g
with its f torrents tall and gloomy, with its walls
,rve G lover y, rim in that prison, doomed this very
Atthe riasins Of the curfew, and no earthly help
Cromwell INV viii not come till sunset" and her lips
grew strangely white
Az qha hrpathpd the husky Whisper
"Curiew must not ring tonight
aBessie.n calmly spoke the sexton, every word
pierced her young heart
Like the piercing of an arrow, ike u ueauly polA
Ions Zion long we years I've rung the Curiew from tha
gloomy, shadOwed tower;
Every evening just at sunset, It has told the twi
have done my duty ever, tried to do it just anC
right,
Now In old still must doit,
Curfew II must ring tonight
wild her eyes and pale her features stern ant
white her thoughtful brow
And within her secret bosom Bessie matea sol
emn vow, go
She had listened while the judges read without
tear or sigh, ,,-
"At the ringing Of the curiew, Basil underwood
must die ,,.
And her breath came fast and iaster, ana her eye
grew large and bright
In an undertone she murmured-
"Curfew must not ring tonight
She with quick steps bounded forward, spTuni
within the old church door
Left tho old man threading slowly paths oithc'
trOd before; ~
Not one moment paused the maiden DuI Win e!'
and cheek aglowi ~
Mounted up the gloomy tower, where the Del
swung 10 and tru, 49,, r.,
And she climbed the dusty ladder on which lel
no my of light
Tn and up.-her white lips saying
"Curfew shall not ring tonight
She had reached the topmost ladder, oerherhang
the great dark bell;
Awful is the gloom beneath her, like a pathWa!
Lo. the ponderous tongue IS swinging, sthe houi
Ofcurtew now,
And the sight has chilled her bosom, stopped hel
E breath Gn9 IP PaeqY Y6 aeF yeysr SE9g Flash her
with sudden light
And she springs and gnlsps II firmly
"Curfew shall not ring tonight
Out she swung, far out, the city seemed speck
light below,
'Twix heaven and earth her form suspended, a
the bell swung to ana fro,
heard not the bell, ..
But he thought It still was ringing fair younl
Basirs funeral knell.
Still the maiden clung most firmly, and with trem
bling lips and white IN .....fC =
said to hush her hearts Wild beatingi--. IS
"Curiew shall not ring to-nigh.'
1t was DER, the bell ceased swayipg, and the mai
den stepped once more,
Firmly on the dark old ladder, where lot hunure'
years before, ,...,..
Human loot had not been planted Tne BRAY
deed that she had done
Should be told long ages afrer, as the rays Of sci
ting sun,
Should iilume the sky with beauty, aged sres VIII
heads Of white, r..r.
Long should tell the little children, Nll1| 1|#.
Curfew did not ring that night.
Der the distant hills came Cromwell. Bessie see
him, and her brow,
Full OF hope and full Of gladness, has no anxiou
traces now
At the feet she tells her story, showsher hands al
bruised and torn;
And her face so sweet and pleading yet with sol
row pale and worn,
Touched his heart with sudden pity, lit his ey
with misty light;
"Gol your lover lives" said Cromwell
Hftt1rfaty qhau mot RING tO-uiVhth