The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-06-17
POETRY,


Englands sun was settngoer the hills so far away,
Filled the land with misty beauty at the close OF
sad day;
And the last rays kissed the forehead of aman and
maiden fair
He with step slow and weary, she with sunny,
floating hair;
He with bowed head, sad and thoughtful she with
lips so cold and white,
Struggled to keep back the murmur,-"Curfew must
not ring tonight"
Sexton Bessie's white lips faltered pointing to
the prison old,
With its walls so tall and gloomy walls so dark and
damp and cold
I've lover in that prison, doomed this very night
to die,
At the ringing OF the curfew and no earthly help is
nigh.
Cromwell will not come till sunset" and her face
grew strangely white.
As she spoke in husky whispers.-"Curfe must
not ring tonight
Bessie calmly spoke the sexton every word
pierced her young heart
Like thousand cleaning arrows-like deadly
poisoned dart)
Long. long years I've rung the curfew from that
gloomy, Swallowed tower;
Every evening, just at sunset, it has told the twi
light hour!
have done my duty ever-tried to do it just and
right,
Now I'm old will not miss it-girl, the curfew
rings tonight
Wild her eyes and pale her features, stern and
white her thoughtful brow,
And within her heart deep center, Bessie made
solemn vow.
She had listened, while the judges read, without
tear or sigh
''At the ringing Of the cu.few, Basil Underwood
must die"
And her breath came fast and faster, and her eyes
grew large and bright,
One low murmur. scarcely spoken,-"Curfew must
not ring tonight
She with light step bounded forw ard, sprang with
in the old church door,
Left the old man coming slowly, paths he'd trod
oft before;
y OF one moment paused the maiden, but with
check and brow agow,
Staggered up the gloomy tower, where the bell
swung to and fro.
Then abe climbed the Shiny ladder, dark, without
one rav of light,
Upward still. her pale lips saying,-"Curfew must
not ring tonight"
she has reached the topmost ladder; DER her
hangs the great dark bell,
And the awful gloom beneath her, like the path
way down to hell
See the pondcrous tongue is swnging-'tis the
hour Of curfcw now
And the sight has chilled her bosom, stopped her
breath and palcdhe brow
Shall she let it ring: No, never! Her eycs flash
with sudden light,
As she springs and grasps it frmly-'Curfew
shall not ring tonight"
ont She swung. far out-thc city seemed tiny
spccls below
There. tvjxt heaven -nd earth suspended, as the
he'll swung ID and fro;
And the half deaf sexton ringing (years he had not
heard the ben.
Aud he thought the twilight curfev rang young
Balls fIueral knell.
Still the maiden. clinging firmly, check and brow
80 pale and white.
Sti.led her frightened hearts Wild beating, Cur
few shall not ring to-right'
1t was DER the bell ceased swaying, and the maid
en- stepped once more
tirnly on the damp old ladder, where for hundred
years before,
Human foot had not been planted; and what she
this night had dohe
should be told long ages after As the rays of
setting
Light the sky with mellow beauty, aged sires, with
heads of white.
Toll the children why the curfew did not ring that
one sad night
Ger the distant hills came Cromwell. Bessie 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 bruised and torn;
And her sweet young face so haggard, with look
so sad and worm
Touched hi. heart with sudden pity, lit his eyes
with misty light
Go, your lover lives" cried Cromwell; "curfew
shall not ring tonight