The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-10-12


One night in autumn weather;
Around her brain dark visions play,
Blent strangely wild together
Then came defined fearful dream
Of riding in air by the moons pale beam,
And hearing new born infants scream
Beneath in the plashy heather.
She toss'd on her pillow, once, twice, thrlc
Oppressed by the midnight demon;
And thrice she calrd, in plaintive voice,
The name of her husband, Eamon-
Anon she hears, in her dreaming sore,
The tramp of steed the rough pathway o'e
And voice demand, at the dwelling door,
Her aid for some wife or leman.
Sudden she bursts the troublous dream
That seemed her reason mOcking-
Sees past the easement lightning's CLEAN,
Hears all the roof rocking,
The volleying thunder DER her head
The Ariglin roar in his rocky bed,
\ loud wild voice at the door Of her she'd
And the sound of ceascless knocking
Spurning the pavement, courser neighed
Came voice OF tempest swelling,
"A lady, o, Midwife, demands thy aid,
Whose cries her keen travail are telling"
In mantle of gray soon standeth she
Where coal black stccd and his rider be,
Who snatches her quick TO the saddle tree,
From the door OF her lowly dwelling.
Like an arrow shot adown the wind
Rush'd the coal black steed that bore them
Groan'd pine-trecs tall in the gloom behind,
How'd the storm in the gloom before them
They shot past the crag Of the eagles nest,
The cairn DER the suicide maidcn's breast,
The oak crowned glen Of the ghost unblest,
While roll'd the fierce thunder DER them.
Along that glen Of shrieks and fear
T1.. Oh OF.
Now DOnall the Queler's cliff is near
Now the hill of Parting's nearing
Now Bonfi's Ford-At urhell-
Mid the rush Of pept cataracts down the dell
They plunge where the Ariglin's boiling swell
Its foamy crest is rearing.
That awful plunge-that thunder burst,
That boiling, oddying water
That coal-black steed-tLat man accurst,
Who thus to death had brought her
High DER the tempest shrll and clear
Arose the cry of beautiful fear,
30, Father Of Mercy, lend thine ear
To the dying wall Of thy daughter"
The eyes OF the man If the coal-black stced
On the mortal riercely Bonded
Now, Midwife, mark ih, wholesome rede,"
And his voice with the thunder blended
'Fo!btar 10 name that Name of fear
Question 10 sight OF which thou'rt seer"
Then gaining the hank, his wild career
Ger The heath OF the grey stone wended.
through clouds dispar;ed cano the moon,
Al earth and heaven revealing;
The Midwife sees the fort al Doom
While by Bonlahen wheeling
And wQudrous strange! old Doom % Slcen
That rrsl 50 lone and .ornc had been,
Vas bright with thousand lustres' sheen
LA4I hung from crystal ceiling
Iha, ceiling spread DER hall bedight
Will. al thai glittege.h brightly;
I-trg maidens danc'd with motion light
Ger all that moveth lightly;
And mantled chief, and throncd king
-Al4t VINE and 5eOir al the banquet ring,
hence music rose from voice and string
Ia many measure sprightly.
Suspended here his rushing speed,
The dark, mysterious stranger,
Weighed thrice aloud the coal black steed
Impatient for the mangcr--
sudden the man and the Midwife sped
Through The fe.tai train with hurrying tread
Where spirits of air aud shapes Of the dead
Thick thronged the hall OF danger
The midwife saw in the dances maze
Some beauteous maidens flying,
Who months before had met her gaze
BY 'pells Of the fary's dying
And forms Of friends in lifcs best bloom
VINO long were Wondering in the tomb,
~ she pass d 10 the couch OF an inner room,
Where the lady In sorrow was Wing.
An soon was changd to smiling Joy
That beautiful ladys weeping;
But ere the midwife PLACID her boy
Beside his mother sleeping,
'AuOint with this the horscmau said
The new born babe from foot TO head:
And ia IN we .pp ibV lumbln .IaI
Ere the cock is hi, mid watch keeping"
As She wrought at the babe from an ointment
pot
Of fragrantcst emission,
A>uddcn pain through her cyrbal shot.
That dimm'd her aching vision;
She lays her hand where the wild pangs dy
Md O! what scene met that opening eve
he fort, aud the hail, and the mOon.lit Sky,
AltbIendcd in strange dcriSion'
She found her eye quick virtue caught
To ken the structure airy
That hall with seeming pOmp o'crwroupht
Was rooless cold and drcary:
There mothers young, and wives Of woe
VINO dlcd in the primal childbirth thruc
Ana virgins stolen long years ago,
Now pine in the power Of Faery
Now speed along" the horsemnn said
Ere hamlet cocks be growing"
Then flung to the Midwife rs he sped.
y purse with gold o'crllowing;
To charmed eye 50 might it be,
Yet well could the wondering woman see
That naught but leaves from the ivy-trrc
Were all these guineas glowing
Impatient snorts awaiting now
The coal black Steed that bore her,
lis but her lannon's spring. tide plough
That spurns the sod before her
The Plough, the Plough" she wildly cried:
The demon horscman at her side.
His finger tip 10 her eye applied,
And dcath-likc swoon came DER herl
The sun was high in golden sheen.
Upon that mdnights morrow.
When near old haunted Doom % Slcer
The Midwife woke in sOrrow-
Her lannon's plough beside her lay.
HE hall and it, pageant fed the day,
And gone was her left cye'- visual r4v
By the horseman's angry arrow
Who more would of that Midwife know
Whose legend I'm I-rouut.a..
MAY search where DaIoo'- .tre4m. at- Tow. /
by saint Laturin's fountain,
by illr finawe, Gy deep br5zaa1.
Nv Ariglin bright ~ Cd. tla,- af green.
Or ialr IN the wales 5y tds sha.t--.a. screen ,
~ created Clara Mountain.
| ne scene OF this popular legend j. laid. |
ne heard II narrated, Ga the bank % the |
gun or OuntariGi.u, e. stream .cA flow
u IA, mountains u Po5a.s D hesHe, in the F,