Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-05-21
CURFEw MUST NOT RING TO.
NIGHT.
BY MRS. ROSA THORPE.

Bprland's sun was slowly setting DER the hills SO
PARKWAY,
Filling ali tie land with beauty at the close OF
And the last rays KISSED the ioiehe'u vi mah
and maiden fair,
uo With step so slow and weakened she with
sunny, floating hair;
Ito With sad bowed head and thoughtful, she
with lips 80 cold and white,
Struggling to keep back the rnurmur, "Curfew
must not ring tonight.
nsexton," Bessie's white lips faltered, pointing
to the prison old,
With its walls so dark and gloomy-walls so
dark, so damp, and cold
I've lover in that prison, doomed this very
At the n ringing of Of the c.rfew, and no earthly
help is nigh,
Cramwelt will not come till sunset and her face
grew strangely white,
As she spoke in husky whispers "Curfew must
not ring tonight"
Bessie, salmy spoke the sextOn--every word
pierced her young heart
Like q thousand cleaning arrows like desaIy
poisoned DART
Long, long years I've rang the Curfew from
that gloamy Swallowed tower =,
Every evening, just at sunset, II mas 'oia tue
twilight hour
I have done my duty ever, tried 10 10 IL JuS' "no
Now I m old I will not miss it girl the Curfew
rings tonight"
wild her ewes ana pale her features, stern ana
white her Thoughtful brow
And within her hearts deep CENTER beSsie in''oe
sbs had I listened Will. the juages read without a
tear mr. sigh
"At the ringing of the Curfew-Basi Under.
wood must die,
And her breath came fast and faster and her
ewes grew large and bright
One low murmur, scarcely spoken-"Curtew
must not ring tonight!
sbe with lirht step bounded forward, sprang
within the old church door,
, Left the old man coming slowly, paths he'd trod
40 oft before; 90,
Not one moment paused the maiden but with
cheek and brow ag0w, :,
Staggered mp the gloomy tower, where sne oeu
Then she climbed the Shiny ladder, dark, with
ont one ray of light
Upward still her pale lips saying: "Curfe~
shall not ring tonight
She has reached the topmost ladder, Ger hel
hangs the great dark bell, -,
And the awful gloom beneath her, like the path
way down To heil
Soc the ponderous tongue is swinging, It's the
hour of Curfew now
And the sight has chilled her bosom, stopped hei
breath and paled her brow.
Shall she let it rings No. never her eyes hasf
with sudden light, ,,,,
A she springs and grasps IL nrIniy- ''1le"
shall not ring tonight"
o Out she swung far out the city seemed TINY
speck below;
There twixt heaven and earth suspended, al
the bell swung TO and ffo
And the halt. deaf sexton ringing wears he hat
not heard the belD,
And he Thought the twilight Curfew rang young
Basil funeral knell;
Still the maiden clinging firmly check and brow
so pale and white,
. stilled her frightened heart Wild 0sating-"Cur
feto shall not ring tonight
II was o'er-the bell ceased swayiug, and thu
maiden stepped once more
Firmly on the damp old ladder, where for hun
bred years before
Human foot had not been planted; and what SHE
this night had done,
Should be told in long years atter--as the rays
of setting sun
Light the sky with mellow beauty, aged sfe'
with heads of white,
Tell their children why the Curtew did pos rms
that one sad night.
Der the distant hills came Cromwell: Bessie saw
him, and her brow, -,
Lately white with sckening terror, CLOVIS VIII
sudden beauty now;
Athis feet she told her story, showed her bands
all bruised and torn;
And her sweet young face 80 baggad, with
look so sad and worn,
Touched his heart with Sudden pity--lit his eyei
with misty light;
Go your lover lives" cried Cromwell! Car
few shall not ring tonight"