Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1878-11-21
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Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight.
BY ROSA II. THoarE.

Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight.
BY ROSA II. THoaTE.
Slowly England's sun was set ing Ger the
hiltops far away,
Filling all the land with beauty at the close
Of one sad day,
Aud the 'ast rays kissed the forehead Of a
man and maiden fair
He with footsteps SOW and weary-shc
with sunny, floating hair;
He with bowed head, sad and thought eu.-
she with lips all cold and white,
Struggling to keep back the murmur;
'.curfcw must not ring to- night
"sexlon,' Bosses white lips faltered, point
ing to the prison old,
With its tarrets tall and gloomy, with S
walls dark, damp and cold,
"Tve lover in that prison, doomed Iii.
very night &c die
AT the ringing Of the Curfew, and no earth
ly help is nigh;
Cromwell will not come Ii | sunset" and
her lips grew strfne ely vi hite,
As she breathed The husky whisper:
"Curfew must not ring tonight
"Besslc,' calmly spoke the sex .on-eve'y V
worsl pierced her young hart
Like the piercing Of an arrow, like dead
ly poisoned dart
"LoDs. long years l've rung the Gu, few from
that gloomy, shadowe tower;
Every evening, just at sunset, it has tol tie
twill ht hour;
] have done my duty ever, tried TO do it
just and right
Now I'm old | still must do IL
Curfew it must ring tonight"
Wild her eye ard pale her features, stern
and white her thoughtful brow,
And within her secret bosom Bessie made a
solemn vow,
She had listened while the iu'ge rca'
without a tear or sigh;
eat the ringing of the Curfew, Basil TN
derwood must die''
And her breath came fast and faster, and
her eyes grew large and bright
In an undertone she murmured
'Curfew must lot ring to-nis ht"
She with quick steps bounded forward,
sprang within the old church door,
Left the old man threading slowly, paths so
Oft he'd trod before;
Not one moment paused the maiden, but
with eye and cheek agIow,
Mounted up the gloomy tower, where the
bell swung to and fro;
rs she climbed the dusty ladder on which
fell no ray of light,
Up and up-her white lips saying,
"Curfew shall not ring TO night
She has reached the topmost ladder-o'er
her hangs the great dark bell;
Awful is the gloom beneath her, Ike the
pathway d wn to hell
Lo! tho ponderous tongue is swinging tis
the hour of Curfew now,
And the sight has chilled her bosom, stopped
her breath and paled her brow.
Shall she let it ing :? Nc-ncyer Flash
her eye with sudden light,
And she springs and grasps ii f,mly;
'Cur.ew shall not ring TO. night" /
Cut she swung, far ont, the city seemed
speck Of Ii ght below
Twixt heaven and earth her fo,m suspen-
ded, ss thebell swung TO and fro,
And the sexton at the bell-rcpe, old and
deaf, heard not the bell;
But he thought it still was ringing fair
young Basil'S funeral knell,
Still the maiden clung more firmly AID
vi trembling iips and white,
said TO hush her hearts will beating:
"curfew shall not ring tonight"
t was ocr; the bell ceased swaying, and
the maiGen stepped once more
Wv VIC OiQ
hundred years before
Iuman foot had not been planted The
brave deed that she had done
should be told long ages after, as The rays
Of setting sun
Should iIlume the sky with beauty aged
sires with heads of white,
4ong should tell the little children,
''Curfew did not ring that night"
)'er the distant Hill comes Crcmwell; Bes-
sic sees him, and her brow,
1ull Of hope and full Of gladness has no
anxious traces now,
At his feet she tells her story, shows her
hands all bruised and torn:
snd her face so sweet and pleading, yet with
sorrow pale and worn.
Touched his heart with sudden pity, lit his
eye with misty light
Go your lover lives,'' said Cromwell,
"Curfew shall lot ring tonight