Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1877-02-22

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Cromwell viii not come TN sunse4 /" saA her
iace grew strangely white ss N
Al she spoke in husky whispers s'Curfsw must
not ring tonight"
Bessie" calmly spoke the ssxton-svsfy word
pierced her young heart 80 go.
Like thousand cleaning arrows-like dead
ly-poisoned dart;
'Tong, long years I've rung the Curlsw from
that gloomy shadowed tower;
Every evening, just At sunset 1t has told the
twilight hour;
have done my duty ever, tried to do il just and
Now P@ old, will not miss it girl, the Cur
few rings tonight"
Wild her eyes and pale her features, stern and
white her thoughtful brow,
And within her hearts deep centre Bessie made
solemn VOW;
She had listened while the judges read, without
q tear or sigh,
'At the ringing Of the Cursew-Basil Underwood
must de-
And her breath came fast and faster, and her eyes
grew large and bright
One low murmur, scarcely spoken, ''Curfew ssasf
not ring tonight y
She with light step bounded forward, sprang
within the old church door,
Left the old man coming slowly, paths he'd trod
90 Oft before;
Not one moment paused the maiden, but with
cheek and brow sgiow,
Staggered up the gloomy tower, where the bell
swung to and fro;
Then she climbed the Shiny ladder, dark, with
out one ray Of light, .....--
Upward STILL her pale lips saying, "Curfew shall
not ring tonight"
She has reached the topmost ladder, o'er her
hangs the great dark bell,
And the awful gloom beneath her, like the path
way down to hell;
See, the ponderous tongue Is swinging, tbs the
hour Of Curfew now,
And the sight has chilled her bosom, stopped her
breath aud paled her brow.
Shall she let il ring? No, never her eyes fash
with sudden light,
And she springs and grasps it 6rmly-'Curfew
shaH not ring tonight
Out she swung, far out-the city seemed q tiny
speck below;
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 belly,
And he thought the twilight Curfew rang young
Basilfs funeral knell;
Still the maiden clinging firmly, cheek and brow
so pale and white,
Sdllel her frightened hearts wild beating
"Carfer shall nat ring Tonight"
1t was o'er-,he bell ceased swaying, and the
maiden stepped once more
Firmly on the damp old ladder, where, for hum
dred years before,
Human foot had not been planted; and what she
this night had done
setting sun
Light the sky with mellow beauty, aged sires
with heads Of white
Tell the children why the Curfew did not ring
that one sad night.
Ger the distant bills 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 20 haggard, with q
look so sad and worn,
Touched his heart with sudden pity--lit his eyes
with misty light;
go, your lover lives, cried Cromwell; ''Cur-
few shall no, ring tonight"