The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-09-11


Beauty biuShed deeper, now the rising sun
OF royalty upon it was to shine;
Wealth cast It's nets of tinsel and of gold
To catch the kngly eye; and wisdom merged
Itself into the terms OF an address,
Which the old Mayor sat up nights to learn
"a needy poet wrote the same tor him.
No maiden huttered through the narrow
streets
That pondered not what ribbons she should
No window on the long PROFESSIONS route
But had its tenants long engaged ahead.
But the Old sexton of st. Joseph's Church
Soped dull end suiky through the smiling
crowd,
A blot upon the cfty's plcasure-page.
-NEat rams wrong with you, unce!' was the
~'You who have been the very youngest boy
OF ali the Odd men that the city had
Who loved processlons more than Derquistes,
And rolled 4 gala day beneath your tongue
What rheumatism has turned that temper
Speak up, and make your inward burden
ours.
The Old man slowly walAed until he came
Unto jhc rEarkct-pacc, then fecDly stopped,
As 81 10 talk; and crowd gathered soon,
As men vii when man has things 10 say.
And thus he spoke: "tOr fifty years and
more
I have teen sexton of St. Joseph's Church.
st. JCseph's would have tigej i'll but for me.
And though my friend the priest may smile
at this,
AND Wink al YOU an GnD1sseNlng eye.
by Office SHINES in Heaven as well aS his.
Although il was rot mine 10 maSe Tie church
Cody, 1 kept Il clean, and the5 stanJS next.
If have brOAc one circle OF my sphere,
JCt some one WIZ straight tngCr trlcc II out.
Ind no procession in these fifty years
Has maTcncd tie streets with aught like
EiHCiy tread,
But on tie summit of st. Joscphs splre
i stood erect and waved 4 weicOHie-lag,
VIE scaGty resting place beneath my feet,
Ana the "riid breezcs ciutcbng at my beard.
IL tDO= some nerve 10 stand so near 10 heaven
And ling abroad its cO.ors Try II, priest.
.'RutI an old: most of my marhooIs fire
Is chUhed IN cold white ashes; ana my nerves
ITc:HDie III every zephyr ike Cae leaves.
WAX can 1 dO:-the rag must nOt be missed
Fran the cathe irdi : summit. I've 10 son,
OT ne should bear the banner, Or my curse.
! la &c daughter: she shan ware tic lag.
And ihisi5 ow my girl shall wave the flag.
Ten >IitO-s has she; and ttIa valiant one,
who, strong OF heart and Will, Ca-l c-In!b that
perch,
And 10 what | so many times have done,
shall take ncT hand from mine al MS descent.
SPEAK up, Vienna lads. and IT collect
How much OF loneliness faint heart or won
Then there was clemor in the callow breasts
OF the Vienna youth: Tor snc was far
y bc sweetest bosom OF that city'S vines
Eiany young eye climbed furtiTciy
Where the fral spire-tp tremDleI IN the
breeze,
Tiea wandered to the cot wherein she dwclt;
A5u, none spoke up, till Gabriel Pctershcim,
NLose ear TINS proclamation strange had
reached,
Came rushing through the crowd, and boldly
sad:
81 am your daughters sutton, and the one
She truly loves; bur scarce can gain Il smile
EEtil win her father heart well;
and you, old man, have 1roWned on me, and
said
was 100 young. too frsDlous too wild.
. q! - lrraT
Niark me tomorrow as | mount yOn spire,
And mention, when bring the nag to you,
Whether twas ever waved more gioriOuSly."
And thus the old man answered: 'Climb
your way;
And il a scnseful breeze should push you Of
ana break that raw and somewhat worthless
iiecG,
I can not greatly mourn; but climb your way,
And you stall have the girl if you succeed"
High on the giddy pinnacle next day
Waved the youth; but not till evenings sun
Marched from the western gates, that tardy
King
We're weakened 10y fatigue and want of food,
Vie Pleased the peoples and the monarch's
And I;sshed a deeper thrill of love through
Who turned her sweet face often up TO him,
Anu whose true heart stood with him on the
tower.
Now. when the kingly pageant all had
passed,
He folded up the flag, and with proud smiles
Anu prouder hearT prepared HIM to descend.
Bui me small trGp-dOOr through which ne had
crept
Had by some rivals hand been barred! and he.
Win bat 4 EaG1-breadJhS space where lie
might cling,
Was left alone to live there. or to die.
Guessing the truth, or shadow of the truth,
He smiled at first, and said: well, let them
NOlc,
Their jealousy by such paltry trick!
They laugh al hour; my laugh viii longer be!
BUJ al hour, and two others. slowly came,
And then he murmured: This is no boys
sport;
1t is silent signal, which means Death
He shouted. but no answer came to him,
Not even an ecno, on that lofty perch
Etc waved his hands in mite eatreaty, but
9nc darkness crept between INN and his
friends.
n half-hour seemed an age, and still he
chung.
he looked down at the myriad city lights,
1wlnkllng like stars upon lOwlier SKY,
Ana prayed: 20 blessed city of my birth,
En which fun many love, and one o'er-Wen,
Or should not De feebly clinging here,
Is there not 'mOngSt those thousands one
kind heart
~ 4ttip tIiC- OF lilhSl COHle DHtk 10 lou
Crashing my way through grim, uItimely
death:''
Rich sounds of mirth came faintIy-but no
help.
Another hour went by, and still he chung.
He braced hmse against the rising breeze,
And wrapped the flag around his shivering
form,
And thus he prayed unto the merry winds:
- breeze, you bear no tales of truer love
Than can give you at this lonely height!
ri al IN no hnl 4
And she VIII never rest till am free.'
The winds pressed hard against him as he
chung,
And well-nigh wrenched him from that scauty
hOA
Dut made no answer to the piteous plea.
Hour after hour went by, and still he held
Weak, dizzy, reeling-to his narrow perch.
LII was clear and Queenly summer night;
and every star seemed hanging from the sky,
AS II twere bending down TO look at aim
And tnus he prayed to the far-shining stars:
% million worlds, peopled perhaps like this
<sia you not see me, chnging helpless here?
IAN you not hasn message to some eye,
brain
To rescue me?' A million sweet eyed stars
Gave smiles to the beseecher, but no help.
And so the long procession of the night
Maiche1 slowly by, and each scarce hour was
BY the great clock beneath; and still he chung
Unto the fraii proserver of his life,
And held. not for his life, but for his love
Held while the spiteful breezcs wrenehed at
him;
He'd while the chills of midnight crept
through him;
While Hope and Fear made him their battle
ground,
And raTaged fercely through his heart and
brain.
lie mOaned, he wept, he prayed again; he
prayed
Grown desperate and half-raving in his woe
10 everything in earth, or air or sky:
10 the lair streets now still aad silent grown:
To the cold roofs, now stretched between him
and help;