Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-12-02
"Curfew Mn.t Not Ring Tonight"

"Curfew Mn.t Not Ring 10 Right.
E,yIat dis sun Vas sc,tiLg Ger the bills so lar
swiy,
Filling he land with misty beauty at the G. 'se
Of cne sad day
And the last rays kiss'd the forehetd OF nsn
and maiden init-
He with sreo so slow and WARY; she With SUM-
by, foaung hair;
He with ht wsd head: sad snd thougntIuI Sic
win li,s so cid spd wNln,
Struggled to keep back he nuruur, Cu'lt"
must not ing 10 night"
"S.x;on," Bs.sis's white lips fa}toroa, pointing
to he pi 500 old,
Witt irs w.ls so tail aid gloomy, walls 80 dark,
aao ,.up, ID cUld,
1--WE lover u that prison, doomed this very
nlght To die
A. tho roping OF the Curfaw, and no eaythIy
hair is pgh.
Cromwell will pot c,ma ill suuse'," aud her
fac, .rtw strangely white
As she sp kn IN husky Whispers uuF'e" mu:l
not ripg to-oSht.
'Bts>i ;" calmly spoke the aex:0n-sVars
we'd pl, rcel Der yousg hesri
Like huusaod cleaning arrjws-llke dead
ly pui.o1ed 6arr:
"Long, lons years L Ve rung The Curie" ircm
tha gloomy shad5wod ,owcr;
Every vin *, just at suas:t, it has told the
twilight t1ur;
| lave done my duty ever, tried to DO 1t Just
suG right,
Nov I'm Old. will GOT miss it; ei'l, the Cut
te9 rugs to night.
villa her eyns sud pale her features, stem and
waltc her thCul htfui hr0T,
| And wi hln her heart s deep cootrr B!ssc made
s1lcmu v09;
She had Iist:ued wh lathe judges read. without
| q tesr or sleB,
"At the ringing Of the Cu!te@-B ,sil Uader
wouG must die
Aad her brer I. ogm3 fast ard fss:er, aud her
eylsrr.w large aud bright
| Oaa law murunr, scarcely snokcn, 'Curt9"
| must not ripg io-n!k b.
Sho plth light step b"a2dGd forward, sprsng
wlitlu The o'G cn1:ch dor, ;,
| L,f, tho ola oo.u o.ul,ug sl?Iiy. pa,bs Ge q
tro6 SO f, fore
| n t ouY uonrut ususad the maiden, 5u' vita
che. k sud prw aslop,
| STAGGERED w t.e gloomy loTeT, WAerc tn" Dell
| swrnE to AID iru;
| Then sbr cl ut.ei ,he snuy ladder. datk, with
out ona ray cf lighf,
| Upward ell, her rso ilps s'ylog, 'Cnttt"
| ShuU not riOg 70 nigh.
Sc his reached he topmost ladder, Der bel
hsDgs tba great da.k bal.
And the awful glGum peueath her, fko toe
pahWsy down 10 hell;
See, the pond -rous toneua 10 s"loens, us th'
hour Of Cu,iew DOW,
And the sight has chilled her bosom, stopped
her breath and paled her brow.
Shall ahe let it ling? NJ, pe7eg! her eye
fl SD with sudden isnt
And sSa snrrgs aud grasp5 it 6rmly-"CurcV
shall not rlng to nebi
Out she swung. far out-the city seemed tiny
speck oel18;
There, 'twixe beevsn and earth us0eOded. a.
the bell swung to and tro;
Aud the hslf dost sex'ou ringing (sears he hac
not teard the Dell),
And be thought the twilight Curtew rang younl
B,sips funeral kuell;
Still thy maiden cIipgiog firmly, cheek apd brow
10 pale and white,
StiIled her frightened hearts wild beating
'CmteU shall not ring to night.
Il vas o'er-;he bell ceased swayiog, sDd tn
meidcu stepped orc, more
Firm'y 90 the damp old ladder. where, for tun
dred years botore,
Human foot had not been painted; sud wha
she this hight had dora
Skoul be tod loug ages sfter-as toe rays o
settiuy sun
Light tho ky with mellow boauy, aged sire
with b, ads OF whlto
Tell the children why the Cuttew did not rln
that ole sad uight.
lO'er the distant bills came Cromwell; ISL
saw him ard ber brow,
Lately white with S!ckeung horror. CLOVIS Tlt
sudden beauty now,
, At his feet she told her story, showed her hauc
:! all bruised and torn,
And her sweet ung face. 50 haggard, with
look so sad and worn, :,
:. Touched his heart with sudden plty-lit Ii
4 eyes with misty ligh';
y go, ycur lover lives, cried Cromwell; Gu
few shall cot rirg 10 Dlsht.
NoBBY HATS Tor Childr=u 81 NOSE WATGl