The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-01-18
Our Young Readers.
THE BALLAD OF GOOD SIR Or
GAN.


Oh, blue are the hills of Faeryland,
And green the summer meadows be-
And reedy many rivers strand,
And stately every forest tree.
And all the bride bells do ring,
As knights come riding, two and two,
Aneath the wood; and, like King,
Sir Urgan rides in armor blue.
And 10! as down the wood they rode
The lake beyond just CLEANS in sight
wrinkled crone beneath load
BewailS her bones in sorry plight.
Good mother, be of better cheer,
Give me your load" Quoth Urgan; $50
IOur fagOtS on my crupper here
VIII ease you in the path you 60"
Then straightway all the knights, with jeer,
And laugh, and jest, upon him turn'd;
Yet all the kinglier was his cheer,
Though just whit his forehead burn'd.
And OFF they rode, the fiouting train:
Behind the hill the laughter died;
With kindly face and slackened rein,
He rode the aged dame beside.
" Now whittier rid st thou, fair Sir Knight,
BY wild and waste and woody lane2"
ride, quoth he, " in joust to fight,
Before the King in fair Mentaine."
Now good betide thee. fair Sir Knight:
When thou league hast parted hence,
The path that swerveth to the right
Will lead to Mentaines battlements-
ana MIDWAY uOMH the maze,
A horse and armor thou wilt find;
Mount; leave thine own and ride thy ways;
Yon hOuting train thou'lt leave behind.
Who rides him, conquers; thou shalt win
Fame at this joust good knight and fair. =
And 10! the beldame old and thin
Did vanish into empty air.
Right well amaz'd Sir Urgan rode
By many bosky th1ckets edge;
A summer brook beside him flowed
With hidden laughter in the Sedge,
Till, cleaning through the dancing leaves,
A brazen charger reared ON high;
With rusted lance, and helm, and greayes,
The faery armor hung thereby.
All mute upon the statue stared
Sir Organ: By my faith!' he cried,
An thou hadst life, had not cared
To find a nobler Steed to ride.
Who rides thee conquersv" Then in haste
He cast his mail upon the gorSe;
Soon, in the rusty armor laced,
He vaulted on the braZen horse.
Flashed wide the chargers brazen eyes;
All tieshly warm the metal grew;
His name began to stir and rise;
A single struggling breath he drew;
Through swelling veins his blood did run;
Sir Urgan felt his pulses beat,
He reared-he plunged from off the stone
AND lighted down upon his feet!
Hold fast, Sir Urgan, with such haste
Thy courser never sped before!
By hill and dale and windy waste,
With headlong speed, the charger bore.
AS past the houting knights he burst,
Who rides?" they wondered, :" in such
haste?-
a churllsh knight, adorned with rust,
And in his grandsire's armor laced"
But later, in the Journeys fight,
These scoffers somewhat changed their
cheer;
A drawer than this stranger knight,
In joust hath never battled here
For helms were clOven, spears were broke,
And knights and steeds of gallant course
Went down, before the charga and stroke
Of Urgan and his faery horse.
Him to the King the herald brought;
ThrOned high he sat above the lists.
Right well, Sir Stranger, have We fought
Though of your name we nothing visit
His rusty helm the victor dOfFd;
A murmur broke amid the crowd,
And acclamations swelled aloft
AS good Sir Urgan, kneeling, bowed.
They crowned him victor.
Ye who read
With kindly eyes, my story through.
Say, lives there not some victor's need
For all good deeds that you shall do?
And when did Organ kinglier show?
When glowed his breast with holier flannel
Vast when he rushed upon the foe,
Or bent to help the aged dame?
e. Vdrton Blake, IN st. Nicholas,