The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-01-08
THE STORY OF A POEM.
The Authorship Of Ourfsw Must
Not Ring Tonight.

very often read IN public. We have
made diligent search for the orig
inal. This We have found in charm
ing work entitled Newspaper Poets
or, Waits and their Authors" by AL
phonso A. Hopkins. now editor Of
ths RarGL Home, Rochester, New
York. -
The poem to which we now refer ID
founded on an incident in English
history. IN the days of the Protsc
torate young solder was condemned
TO die cat the ringing of the Cur
few" His friends interceded for him
in vsin.y and fair yoApg girl. who
was attached to him. pleaded with
his judges to spare his life, at least
until the hour when che could see the
stern Cromwell herself, but her eff
forts were Ruthless. She then sough!
to bribe the sexton to omit the Our
few Tor q single day, but he was also
MEMORABLE. The hour drew on and
the execntioner stood waiting for the
signal, which, as the poem will show,
did DOT sound that night. For the
benefit of our young readers, We may
cay that the ringing OF the Curfew
bell (frola cOavrefeu, to cover the fire)
was q practice established in Eng
land by its Norman conqueror. All
the inhabitants we're required to
cover their fires. extinguish their
lights, and retire to rest at nightfall,
and the bell was rung 90 signal at
the appointed hour.
The poem was written by Miss
Rosa Hartwlck (now the wife of Ed.
ward G. Thorpe), in April, 1857.
she was wac born in Mishswsks, In
diana, July Is, 1850. and was in her
seventeenth year when she read the
little story of Love and Loyalty" and
told it so swsetly in rhyme. 1t was
FIRST printed in 1870, in the Detroit
Commercial Advertiser. Mrs. Thorpe
waa married in 1871, and now resides
at Litch6eId, Michigan. She has
written other poems, but none more
than this.
"CURFEw MUST NOT RING TONIGHT"
Slowly Epglsnd's sun was setting Ger
the hIll-tops far away.
Filling all the land with beauty at the
close of one Fad day.
And the last rays kissed the forehead of
man and maiden fair
He with footsteps slow and wesry-she
with sunny, floating hair;
be with bowed head, sad and thoughtful
she with lips all cold and white,
to keep back the murmur:
'Curtew must not ring tonight"
Sexton" Bessie's white lips faltered,
pointing to the prison old,
With its turrets, tall and gloomy, with
its walls, dark, damp and cold,
['ve lover in that prison, doomed this
very night TO die,
At the ringing Of the Curfew, and no
earthly help is nigh;
Cromwell will not come till sunset" and
her lips grew strangely white,
As she breathed the husky whisper;
'CurfeW must not ring tonight"
Bessie" calmly spoke the sexton--every
word pierced her young heart
Like the piercing OF an arrow-like q
/ desdly-poisoned DART
'Lo3g, long years I've rung the Curfsw
from that gloomy, Swallowed tower;
Every evening. just At sunset, it has told
the twilight hour;
have lone my duty ever, tried to do il
just and right
Vow Pm old, still must dc it
. - 30, Sn.hk
Wild her eyes and pale her features, stern
and white her thoughtful brow,
And within her secret bosom Bessie made
solemn vow.
'he had listened while the judges read
with out tear or sigh: ta4'
AT the ringing Of the Curfew, Basil
Underwood must die"
And her breath came fast and faster, and |
her eyes grew large and bright
IN an undertone she murmured:
'Curfew must not ring tonight"
,he with quick steps bounded forward,
sprung within the old church door,
left the old man treading slowly paths
so oft he'd tread before.
one moment paused the maiden, but
with eyes and cheeks sglow,
Mounted up the gloomy tower, where the
bell swung to and fro;
Is she climbed the dusky ladder, on
which fell no ray of light
Up and up-her white lips saying:
'CurfeW shall not ring tonight"
;he has reached the top-most ladder
DER her hangs the great dark bell; |
Awful is the gloom beneath her, like the
pathway down to hell.
10, the ponderous tongue is swinging,
- tits the hour of Curfew now, Il
And the sight has chilled her bosom, stop
ped her breath, and paled her brow
,hall she let it ring? No, never! Flash
her eyes with sudden light,
And she springs and grasps it firmly
CarfeN shall not ring tonight
)ut she swung, far out, the city seemed
speck OF light below |
Twixt heaven and earth, her form sus-
pended. as. the bell swung to and fro;
md thessexton at the bell rope, old aud
deaf, heard not the bell,
Sut he thought it still was ringing young
Basil's funeral knell.
till the maiden chung more firmly, and,
with trembling lips and white. /
aid, to hush her hearts wild beating;
Curfew shall not ring tonight"
t was DER; the bell ceased swaying, and
the maiden stepped once more
Firmly on the dark old ladder, where for
hundred years before = |
Iuman foot had not been planted. The
E brave deed that she had done