The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1884-06-18
BETTINA MAzz1.s

"ohl who will scale the bslfry tower
And cut that banner down7
All broken is the Austrian power;
They gallop from the town;
And surely 'tis an idle taunt,
With this days victory gained,
To let yon painted falsehood haunt-
The very sky seems stainedr'
SO spoke the Duke: around he glanced
To see that each rank heard:
But every eye was on the ground,
No single soldier stirred;
The shattered belfry timbers shake;
That highest spire OF all
Beneath a doves weight might it break,
And seven score feet downfall
Each thought: "Cut down by hand that
fagl
Foolhardy were the deed,
When one three-pounder snaps its staff
As breaks a withered reedn
But just as silence grew to shame,
And none would lift his face,
sunburned child, her face aaame,
Stood forth before his Grace.
She courtesied; gave hssty glance
To where the flag flew high,
Then, stammering, she said, " Ny lord,
May I-have leave-to tryg'
"You, childl" he mocksd. "By Mars, you
come
To school these veterans grim.
And your rewardr' "Those two fair plumes
That shade your beavers brim."
Loud rang his laugh, $50 be It'll climb
The plunae ara xro,,,r x.,o,,
She darts across the street as fleet
As swallow in the sun;
The church door clashes at her back;
She rushes up the stair
Against the sky, in the belfry high,
See, see her standing therel
And now she slips up to the leads;
The crowd all hold their b cath,
Higher and higher slow she mounts
One step 'twixt her and death.
Along that narrow dormers edge,
Up to the broken ball;
oh, shattered joist and splintered beam,
Let not the brave child fall!
And now she grasps the slender staff;
Then slowly, gently, see!
The flag begins to sink. Good cord,
Do my WOrk lalUnIullyl
The pully turns-the rope runs smooth
Down, down the gay folds glide
Along the quivering pole, until
They hang her hand beside.
Close gathered-lookl she cuts their bond,
Her scissors flashing fair;
Then lightly pushed from where she clings,
They drop, plumb, to the square;
But no man thought to raise his cheer
Until-oh, blessed chance!--
They see her Chamber down, and safe
From the church steps advance.
Ah, then, what shoutings came from all,
To honor such deed
Up the old street at the Dukes side
She rides his pacing steed,
Her homespun apron filed with crowns,
Tha 6uke's plumes in her hair;
What man shall say a little maid
Can never do and darel
4 1t is related that Immediately after the
battle of Solferino detachment of the Ital-
ian force passed through town near the field
of the days victory, and d discovered that the
enemy's coiors, abandoned or forgotten in
their panic, were still flying from the old
church. The spire had been nearly demol-
ished by the clnnonades. In reply to the
thoughtless challenge of the leader to climb
up and cut down the flag" aftsr the soldiers
had shown their generel unwillingness to risk
their lives on t1e tott3rng structure, a little
peasant girl, BettinI Mazzi by name, under
took it ccessiully. She received rich re-
ward from the spectators, as well as the only
thing she had asked for on attempting her
feat the long ostrich plumes which the
leader wore in his military chapeau, and by
which her rustic little fancy had been greatly
sirIck.-EdiCdrd IrenoeUS Stevenson, IN
Hdy'DeT'S YOlLl0 PeODLe