The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-01-06
HILDA'S LITTLE HOOD.

In sooth have forgotten. for 1t is long ago,
And winters twelve have hid it, beneath their
shrouds of snow;
And ',isn't well, the parson says, DER bygone
things to brood,
But sure it was the strangest thing, this tale Of
Hilda's hood.
Fer Hilda a merry maid and wild as wild
Among the parish maidens was none SO fair as
Her eyes they shone with willful mirth, and like
Her sunny hair rolled downward from her little
scarlet Eood.
And once was out fishing, and, though sturdy
My arms were growing weaker and 1 was far
from shore:
And every landmark that knew was hidden
from mine eyes.
The gul's shril shrek above me, the seas strong
bass beneath.
The numhne.s grew upon me with its chilling
And bls ckness gathered round me; then through
the nights dark shroud
\ clear young voice came swiftly as an arrow
Clcaves the cloud.
1t was voice SO mellow, SO bright and warm and
round
As if patch Of sunshine had been melted into
sound:
Ii fell upon my. frozen nerves and thawed the
grasped the oar and strove af. esh; it was
bitter strife.
The breakers roared about me, but the song took
holder fight,
And rose above the.darkness like beacon in the
night:
And s,eered swift and safely, struck shore and,
by Gods rood,
Through gloom and spray caught the CLEAN of
Hllda s scarlet hood.
The moon athwart the darkness broke o broad
The dawn i grew re" red beyond the sea and sent
abroad the day;
And loud prayed to God above to help me, if
For deep into my soul had pierced that CLEAN
from Hilda's hood.
sought her in the forest, sought her ON the
strand.
The pine trees spread their dusky roof, bleak lay
Until ne Sabba,h morning at the parish church
And saw. amid throng OF maids, the little
scarlet hood.
Then straight my heart ran riot, and wild my
pulses flew:
strvve IN vain my hutter and my bushes to
Why, Eric:. laughed ar, reg9ish maid "your
Another cried: lis but the shine from Hilda's
scarlet hood"
answered not, for It's not safe to banter with
The trees, the church, the belfry danced about
in wDlrl;
was as dizzy as moth that hutters round the
flame;
turned about, and twrled my cap, but could
not speak for shame.
But tina, same Sabbath evening" as sauntered
DER the leach,
And cursed that foolish heart Of mine for chok-
spied haf.wrapped in shadow, at the margin
UI the wood,
The wavy mass of sunshine that broke from
Hildas hood.
With quickcned breath on tiptoe across the sand
Her f,c stsppibdiji osn in her Ian rs tbougb she
The hood had glided backward DER the hair that
downward rolled,
Like some large petal of a flower upon stream
of gold.
Fair Hilda.' SO whispered, 1 Bonded to
She sfarte up and smiled at me without sur
prise or fear; - =
more subdued:
:" Love me again, or wear no more that little
scarlet hood.
Why. Eric" cried she, laughing show can you
talk SO wild:
child;
could
Unless you guess what's written in my little
scarlet hood"
9. But 1 cannot, fairest Hilda,' Quoth l, with
mournful inien,
While with my hand gently, and by the maid
unseen,
Suatched from the clustering wavelets the
brightly flaming thing,
And saw naight there but Stitches small, cross
Wise meandering.
There is nothing in your hood love-" I cried
with heede SIS mirth.
Well laughed she, :" out of nothing God made
beth heaven and earth.
But since the earth to you and me IS heritage
given,
I'll only try to make for you a little bit of
heaven
--HjUlasur Hjorth, in Scribner's Magazine.