The Russellville Democrat., 1877-05-31
THE BURNING BASQUE. iA Legenf of .sfuin.)
 uY VIM. wAEp.
uf VIM. WAEp.

st Ratghdy heqd or:quee'dy oro,0 that bears nis wishout t4rHinq 0rutn or teo,t stripped qf is
 E7ocltng mask Tbs sSb through rhfch 6 spe0sS atoe Rnsoilsd tcith Wtg ssaS as rGdiantly .frtA. os ip Gods judgment
 fiRc." Within cave of riven rock, behind whose jagged
 rim .
 drear aud grim, High on spiintered fragment hung helmet in its
 ciust Of many long and silent years slow-gathered
 flakes of ust, And on it's crest those weirdly words were feaifuy
 embossed, And saint or sinner standing there, himself de-
 vOutly crossed, For Old Tradition in his lair, had forged its dis-
 nal tale, WheIeat the skep.ic never scofed, but trembleo
 cold and p'le Thus had the casque hung long unstirred, cls6
 in spectral fear, That held lis rust unshaken there, through many
 silent year, F And 50 the legend comes 10 us, all folded in the of hst chivalric age agone, that knghtly, monhish time sage and holy hermit kept his godiy vigils there And nonght arose from holiest shrine, more potent
 than his prayer, The maids oi Heres ana the iair Ioroovan osugn- teIs knelt, That he might shrive them at hs feet of all the sins
 they felt. For well they deemed that Heaven would smile on The guardian of that fearful test of fath The Burn.
 ing Casque, That though Tor many year untried, still told its That thrilled the restless and the bold in Guadal- quyer's vale.
 ". At length knight whom Paynin's spears had Before the hermit craved the boon that famous casque to don, He, for Our Lady and the Cross, had cloven heads To win saint hip from the Church, why should it
 burn his brow? "Now Heaven assail thee vaunting knight" ex- claimed that holy man. "Let kniphtiy deeds in Palestine preserve thee if they can,
 ascus blades, Might shake thy saintship in the eyes of Islam's Albeit if thou canst bear the test wlthoutea i'll or scatb, Receive thy crown, Gods benison avert its weight ot wrath" He bowed his head, not meekiy. the helmet pressed One shriek escaped his boasting lips, he felt the 0eatniy Hl0W, band of fire that tightening drew its fearful coil
 of pain, Seemed burning deep snd deeper still through skin and hone, and biain With one wild spring he dashed it down, that fatal
 bu ning thing, And rush, d, he thought, through torrid blasts,
 fannei by demons wing No mo'e WAS 8 on hat erring knight, and year had
 followed year, When on one sunny morn in May, merry mule- Turned up a charred and biacle leped skull, grooyed
 with the fatal sign, That to how swift had been the doom of him of Paiestine. monk there was, austere and dark, from cut
 whose sombei cowl. Had never leapt a tear 10 wash, a smile to sun his soul, Apt with his a. his beads his credes and his
 chants, His maItyIdom of heavenly food fore.tallea his He too had pewer, he vainly deemed, to lift the
 cloud that rolls Between the aIl.absorDing God, and Earth's inn Alas it was not well with him, that monk of rare renown, Nor beats, nor ave., creeds or chants, could save He perished fin the whitening glow of that relent- less dsme. And left another record there, warning and a neyae. There came . maiden pale and wild, who bore
 sulIed name, The memory of her purest years distained with sia and shame, fer peers who erst had crowned her with the early
 flowers of Spring No~ shunned her Save with scornful looks, as a
 polluted thing; She snatched the helmet from its shrine, and held
 her rsvirg breath moment for she knew 1t hid the luxury of Death, utneta {unA kar ing cls.p, Took with wild, delicious fear, the resdy-venomed
 asp: But 10! the maiden's brow though pressed within
 that fatal hand, Slowed with a saint-likc halo fresh from the Im-
 nlertal Land