The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1878-10-17
Iiferazy.


Curfcvv Must mot Ring To-nIght'
England's sun was setting Ger the hills SO
far away,
Filled the land with misty beauty, at the
close of one sad day;
And the last rays kissed the forehead of a
man and maiden fair
He with step 80 slow and weary; she win
sunny, floating hair;
He with bowed head, sad and thonghtiui;
she with steps so cold and white.
Struggled to keep back the murmnr: Cur
few must not ring tonight"
"Sexton," Bessie's white lips faltered
pointing to the prison old,
With its wall so tall and gloomy, walls 30
dark and damp and cold
"I'ye lover in that prison, doomed this
very right to die
At the ringing Of the curfew; and nc
earthly help is nigh.
Cromwell will not come till sunset" and
her face grew strangely white,
As she spoke IN husky whisper: e"Curfe"
must not ring tonight"
"Ressie y calmly spoke the sexton tcvcry
word pierced her young heart
Like 4 thousand cleaning arrows-like
deadly poisoned dart,)
Long, long years I've rung the curfew
from that gloomy, shadowed tower;
Every evening, just at sunset, it has told
the twilight hour; !,
have done my duty ever, tried to do i
Just and right;
Now l am old, Twill now miss it. Girl
the curfew rings to>night9'
Wild her ewes and pale her features; stern
and white her thoughtful brow:
And, within her hearts deep center, Bes
sie made solemn vow.
She had listened, while the judges read
without q tear or sigh
"At the ringing of the curfew, Basil Un-
derwood must die.
And her breath came fast and faster; and
her eyes grew large and bright;
One low murmur, scarcely spoken, "Cur
few must not ring tonight"
She with light step bounded forward
sprang within the old church door,
Left the old man coming slowly, patht
he'd trod so oft before.
Not one moment paused the maiden, but,
with cheek and brow aglow,
Staggered up the gloomy tower, where the
bell swung to and fro:
Then she climed the Shiny ladder, dark
without one ray of light,
Upward still, her pale lips saying, "Cur-
few shall not ring tonight"
She has reached the topmost ladder; o'el
her hangs the great dark bell.
And the awful gloon beneath her, like the
pathway down to hell;
See! the ponderous tongue is swinging; 'tif
the hour of curfew now;
And ihe sight has chilled her bosom, stop.
ped her breath and paled her brow.
Shall she let it ring? No; never! Her
ewes flash with sudden light,
AS she springs and grasps it firmly; "Cur.
few shall not ring tonight"
Out she swung-far out; the city seemed a
tiny speck below.
There, twixt heaven and earth suspended
az the bell SWING to and fro;
And the half-deaf sexton ringing (years
he had not heard the bell:)
And he @ thanghii ghbii-{hs tbs .iXilliisfh iXiliiasfhtk ffalEf
Still the maiden, clinging firmly, cheek and
brow SO pale and white,
Stilled her frightened hearts wild beating;
"CuJew shall not ring tonight"
1t was DER; the bell ceased swaying; and
the maiden stepped once more,
Firmly on the damp old ladder, where,
for hundred years before,
Human foot had not been planted; and
what she this night had done
Should be told long ages after. As the
rays of setting sun
Light the sky with mellow beauty, aged
sires. with heads of white,
Tell the children why the curfew did mol
ring that one sad night.
Der the distant hills came Cromwell: Bes.
sic saw him, and her brow
Lately white with sickening horror, glows
with sudden beauty now;
At his feet she told her story, showed hei
hands all bruised and torn;
And he, sweet young face 10 haggard
= with look so sad and worn;
Touched his heart with sudden pity, Lit his
eyes with misty lighl;
"Goi your lover lives" cried Cromwell
"Curfew shall not ring tonight.