Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1883-01-04
The CurfeN Heroine.
From the Detroit Free Press.

! PooI.'s Mills, KY, July 6, 1892
MIR. Editor.--In your paper of June
26th, / noticed a letter from Jessie
Davis, Shannon, Lee county, Miss,
in which she says she would like to
know the history Of the poem, "Cur-
few Must Not Ring Tonight" l
will send this sketch. do not know
whether it is true Or not, but as the
poem is universally admired, hope
Jessie Davis will find pleasure In
Ireading it, if you deem it. worthy of
publication. Mas. s. Parker Il
Mote by the Editor.-We think it
more than likely that this sketch is
founded on Rosa Hartwick Thorpe's
poom, "Curfew Aust Not Ring To-
night She wrote it, in 1866, when
she was 10 years OF age, but it was
not published until 1870. Our read
ers are familiar with the poem. We
herewith publish the narrative sent
us by Mrs. Parker: III. n
1t lacked quite half an hour of Cur
few toll. The old bell-ringer came
from under the wattied roof of his
cottage stoop and stood with uncov-
cred head in the clear, sweet-scented
air. He had grown blind and deaf
in the service, but his arm was as
muscular as ever, and he who listen
ed this day marked no faltering in the
heavy metallic throbs of the cathed-
raj bell. Old Jasper had lived thro'
many changes. He had tolled out
his notes of mourning for good Queen
Bess, and with tears scarcely dry he
had rung the glad tidings of the cor.
onation of James. Charles /. had
been crowned, reigned and expiated
his weakness before all England in
Jasper's time; and now he, who un'
der his army held all the common
wealth in the hollow of his hand, ,ruleC
as more than monarch, and still tht
old man, with the habit of a long lift
upon him, rang his matin in sorrow.
Jasper stood alone now, lifting hi
dimmed eyes up to the softly dapplee
sky. @
The walls Ct his memory seemed
, so written oyer-so crossed and re
crossed by the annals Of the year
. that had gone before-that ther'
seemed little room for anything il
g the present. Little reckoned he tina
|. Cromwelps spearsmen were campet
IS on the moor beyond the village-tha
y Cromwell himself rode with hi
lie guardsmen league away; he onl,
knew that the bell that had been rum
: in the tower when William the Con
- queror made curfew law had bee
Id spared by Puritan and Roundhead
y and that his arm for sixty years ha
lie never failed him at eventide.
|" He was moving with slow step tc
is wards the gate, when a woman cam
N N hurriedly in from the street and stoo
ty beside him; lovely woman, but wit
Is Is face so blanched that it SCENE
s. carved in the whitest of marble wit
~ ~ all its roundness and dimples. He
We great solemn eyes were raised to th
'e aged face in pitiful appeal ,and the Lii
r. were forming words that he coul
n n not understand.
ce .Speak up, lass; am deaf an
na nn cannot hear your clatter."
i The voice raised, and the han(
. clasped and unclasped, and rung t.
nd gether palm and palm.
a a "For heavens sake. Jasper, do nj
ct ring the curfew tonight"
" "What, no ring curfew! Ye mu
ne be deft, lassie.''
he "Jasper, for sweet heavens SAX
he for my sake, for one night in all yo'
e., long life, forget to ring the bell. F:
he this once, and my lover shall liv
.er whom Cromwell says shall die at Gu
it few toll. Do you hear? my love
ed Richard Temple. See, Jasper, he
d. is money to make your old age ha
n py l sold my jewels that the Lac
N Nx- Maud gave me, and the gold shall {
ng be yours for one curfew.'
he "Would We bribe me, Lily de Yer
Il; 1i1 Ye're a changelipg. Ye'ye ma t
blood of the Plataganets in ye'
tllr tnr veins as ye're mother had. VIII:
'dy corrupt the bell-ringer under her M
esa jesty, good Queen Bess! Not +
nse all the gold that Lady Maud cou
Use Use bring me! What is your lover
rge me? Babes have been born a
AN an strong men have died before now
the ringing of my bell. Avail
And out on the village green, wi
'"' the solemn shadows of the heaye
ar; lengtheniug over it, a strong m
awaited the curfew to toll for
=, death. He stood, handsome a
age @ brave and tall-taller by an inch tn
led the tallest pikeman who guarded hi
Axe What had he done that he shor
the die? Little it mattered in those da,
" when the sword the great Cromw
yielded was so prone to fall, what
: or others had done. He had be
scribe to the late Lord up at
IL castle, and Lady Maud, forgetti
that man must WOO and woman W
bad given her heart to him witht