The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1883-03-15
TINE cuRFew HeaolhE.

1t lacked quite half an hour Of curfsw
toll. The old bell-ringer came from
under the wattled roof Of his cottage
stoop, and stood with uncovered head
In the clear, sweet-scenfed air. He
had grown blind and deaf in the ser
vice. but his arm was rs muscular as
ever, and he Who listened this day
marked no faltering in the heavy, me
tallic throbs Of the cathedral bell. Old
jasper had lived thorugh many
changes. He had tolled out notes OF
mourning for good Queen Bess, and
with tears scarcely dry, he had rung
the glad tidings of the coronation Of
James. Charles I. had been crowned,
reigned, and expiated his weakness
before all England In Jasper's time
and now he, who under army held all
the commonwealth I'm the hollow OF
his hand. ruled rs more than monarch,
and still the old man, with the habit
Of . long life upon him, rang his ma
tin and sorrow.
Jasper stood alone now, lifting his
dimmed eyes up to the softly-dappled
sky.
The walls of his memory seemed so
written oyer-so crossed and recrossed
by the annals Of the years that had
gone before, that there seemed little
room for any thing i'm the present.
Little reckoned he that CrUmwells
spearsmen were camped on the moor
beyond the village-that Cromwell
himself rode with his gnardsmen a
league away he only knew that the
bell had been rung in the tower when
William the Conqueror made curfew a
law. had been spared by Puritan and
Roundhead, aud that his arm for
sixty years had never failed him AT
eventide.
He was moving with slow step TO-
ward the gate, when woman came
hurriedly i'm from the street and stood
beside him lovely woman, but with
face so blsnched that il seemed carved
i'm the whitest of marble, with all of
its roundness and dimpies. Her great
solemn eyes were raising To the aged
face. and the lips were forming words
that he could not understand.
"Speak up. lass; am deaf, and can
not hear your chatter"
The voice raised, and the hands
clasped aud uncla~ped. and wruBg
themselves together, palm and palm.
''for heaven sake, Jasper, do not
ring the curiew tonight"
What, ma ring curfew' fe must
be daft, lassie.
Jasper, for sweet heavens sake,
for my sake, for one night in all your
life long. forget to ring the bell. Fail /
this once, and my lover shall live, |
whom Cromwell says shall die AT cur |
few toll. Do Won hear-my lover. |
Richard Temple: See. Jasper, here Is |
money to make your old age happy. ] .
sold my Jewels that Lady Maud gave /
me. and the gold shall be for one eur 4
few"
Would We bride me- Lily DE We're? I
Ye've changeling. Ie'vc ma the !
blood:of the Plantagenets Ayere veins 1
as YER. mother had What, corrupt !
the bell-ringer under her majesty. 7
good Queen Bes-! Not for all ia" gold !
that Lady Maud could bring me I
Bates have been born and strong men 4
have died before now, at the ringing /
Of my bell. Awa- awa'"i
And out on the village green, with
the solemn shadows of the iinchens
lengthening over il, strong man
awaited the curfew Ia toll for his death
He stood. handsome and brave and
taller by an inch than the tallest
pikeman who guarded him.
What had he done that he should
die" Little il matterei in those days.
when the sword that the great Cruin-
well welded was so borne 10 fall,
what he or Others had done. He had
been scribe To the late lord up at the
castle. and Lady Maud. forgetting
that man must WOO and woman must
wait. had given her heart Ia him with
out asking, while the gentle Lily DE
We're, distant kindswoman seeking,
found the treasures of his love and
held them fast. Then he had Joined
the army. and made one of the pious
soldiers whose evil passions were.never
stirred but by sign or symbol ofpopery.
But n scorned woman's hatred had
even been there. Enemies and deep
plots had compassed about and colt
quered him. Tonight he was 10 die.
The beautiful world lay "a a vivid
picture before him. The dark green
wood above the rocky hill where Robin
Hood aud his merry men had dwelt;
the frowning castle with its draw
bridge and square towers: the long /.
stretch of Moor with the purple shad-
ows upon il: the green straight walk of
the village:the birds overhead. even the
daisies nj his feet he saw. But, ALI ,
more wildly than all, he saw the
great red sun with its hay veil lin
gering above the trees, "a though IL
pitied him with more than human
pity.
He was n Gud-fearing and a God
serving man. He had long made hi-
peace with Heaven. Nothing stood
between him and death-nothing rose
pleading between him and those who
were Ia destroy him but the sweet face
NJ Lily DE We're. whom he loved She
had melt nj Cromwell feet and plead
ed for his lie. She had wearied
Heaven with her prayers. hut all with
nut avail.
Slowly now the great sun went
down. Slowly the last red rim was
hid behind the green wood. Thirty
seconds more and his soul would be I
with his God. The color did not for :
sake his cheeks. The dark rings of +,
hair lay upon "A warm brow. Ii was ,
his purpose 10 die as martyrs aud
brave men die. What was life that
he should cling To it: He almost felt
the air pul-ate with the first heavy :
roll of the icath-knell. But no sound
caIle. Still facing the soldiers. with '
his clear gray eyes upon them, he
waited. The crimson banners in the I
west were paiing Ia pink. The kline !
had ceased their lowing. and had been :
gathered into the rick yards. i
All nature had Ssundci her curfew: [
nut old Jasper was silent.
The beli-riuger. with his gray head {
iet barred. had traversed half the dis Il
ance that lay between his cottage and I
he UNCOVERED tower. when a form I
vent Hitting past him. with pale, i
'hadowy robes floating around IL, and :
lair that the low western lights touch e
Il and tinted as with halo. :
"Ah, Hulda. Huldar' the old man u
nuttered: chow swift she flies, v
vih come, soon. dear. NV work il u
llmosi done. Hulia wa> the good u
rife who had gone from him in her n
ariy womanhooi, and for whom hc Il
lad mournei all his long lIfe. But
he fieeting form was not Huida's, il
vas Lily peNere, hurried by sui
len and desperate purpose toward the Il
)
$50 help me. God. curfew shall not =.
ing tn niyhI,n Cromw,l II and his il
ragoons come this way. Once more n
l.. 4. I