Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1886-04-10

ing"
Little did Glenvarloch heed:
"The safety of my fortress tower
Depends on tidings he must bring
From Fairee bank, within the hour.
''See'st thou, across the sulen wave
A blood-red banner wildly streaming?
That flag message brings to me
OF which my foes are little dreaming.
The boy MUST put his boat across
(Gold shall repay his hour of danger),
And bring me back with care and speed,
Three letters from the light-browed
stranger"
The orphan boy leaped lightly in;
Bold was his eye and brow of beauty,
And bright his smile as thus he spoke:
II do but pay vassal's duty;
Fear not for me, 0 mother dear!
See how the boat the tide is spurning;
The storm will cease, the sky will cleaf,
And thou wilt watch me safe return
ing.'
His bark shot on-now up, now down,
Over the waves-the snowy crested;
Now like dart it sped along,
Now like a white: winged sea-bird rested;
And ever when the wind sank low,
Smote on the ear that woman's waiing,
As long as she watched with streamin G
eyes,
That fragil bark's uncertain sailing.
He reached the shore-the letters claimed;
Triumphant heard the strangers wonder
That one so young should brave alone
The heaving lake, the rolling thunder.
And once again his snowy sail
Was seen by her-that prayerful mother;
And once she heard his shouting voice
That voice the waves were soon to
smother.
Wild burst the wind, wild tapped the sail,
A crashing peal of thunder followed;
The gust swept over the waters face,
And caverus in the deep lake followed.
The gust swept past, the waves grew calm,
The thunder died along the mountain,
But where was he who used to play,
On sunny days, by Mona's fountain?
His cold corpse foated to the shore,
Where. knelt his lone and shrieking
mother;
And bitterly she wept for him,
The widows son, who had no brotheri
She raised his arm-the hand was closed;
With pain his stihrened fingers parted,
And on the sand three letters dropped
His last dim thought-the faithful
hearted.
Glenvarloch gazed, and on his brow
Remorse with pain ard grief seemed
blending;
A purse of gold he flung beside
That mother DER her dead child bend
ing.
Oh wildly laughed that widow then,
"Glenvarloch, would you dare to meas
ure
The holy life that God has given
Against heap OF golden treasure?
EYE spurned my prayer, for we were poor
But know, proud man, that God hath
power
To smite the King on Scotands throne,
The chieftain in his fortress tower.
Frown on frown on! fear ye not;
We've done the last of chiettain's bid
ding,
And cold he lies, for whose young sake
I used to bear your wrathful Gliding.
"Wil gold bring back his cheerful voice,
That use to win my heart from sorrow
Will silver warm the frozen blood
Or make my heart less lone tomorrow
Go back and seek your mountain home,
And when you kiss your fair-haireC
daughter,
Remember him who died tonight
Beneath the waves Of Mona's water"
a Old years rolled on, and new ones came
Foes dare not brave Glenvarloch's tower
But naught could bar the sickness out
That stole within fair Annie's bower.
The o'erblown floweret in the sun
Sinks languid down and withers daily,
And so she sauk--her voice grew faint,
Her laugh no longer sounded gaily.