Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-10-05
THE BOY HARPER.

this tale. Ii is u romance, anu 9
ro,,once il the disembodied spirit OF
\ story, only sufficiently mateFialized
to render it perceptiblo to mortal
senses Suffice il to know that It be-
lonps to a country wherecastles were
] mart ofthe vitality Of the land, not
turesquccenotaphs Of a dead past;
md 70 those olden days when men
not having yet learned 70 delegate
the keeping Of their eonseiences to a
national codcof laws, came nearerto
the principles that underlis those
laws.
II was a time and country Of arms.
yalor was the saint by whom all
swore. and no death was feared save
a death on the straw And with va
lor ruled song. When the clash OF
swords was for a moment stllled
minnesingers and MINISTRIES sang OF
the sweetness OF love, Are not the
tendcrcst blossoms Of the year those
that are fostertd by the snowdrittf
The Tower OF Tyuedalc had had it,
baptisms OF blood and CONSIDERATIONS
of song more frequently, il may Well
be, than any other castle within the
same horizon bounds, for il stood on
disputed ground. II was defiance
in stone flung down by an early
Tynedaie, and many a time had the
Hrauksomc men dashed themselves
against il ia vain assault, Ones in
deed, the portraits had traitOronsly
welded. and the banner oil the hated
house ot the ussailauts had tainted
the scattered TyHfsials from the
battlements ofits own tower That
dishouor had been wiped out ~ the
desperate courage Of the recupture,
but ia memory reused to ueW life
the old family fud, which had its
birth IL the buried past.
II was the thought ~ that uufor.
gotten shame that muie more lofty
the bearing II the lord u Tyue,tabs
NJ ~ entered thu demesur "a which
long absence had made him wrll
nigh stranger Tile gay laughter
Of hii rrtainers, who found IL Joy
enough 10 feel the shadow ~ Tyne
dale oaks Gree more above tlrm,
seemed % his eur but 10 muiile the
angry mutter oil defeated men. Age
icselG was forgotten, as the very
thought Of thrmcn OfBrnnksunr -nus
the hand Of the old lord % the hilt 81
his sword His stecd, responding 10
his unconscious touch, bounded for
ward, and carried him IN advance ui
his train 10 the opening IN the forest
that commanded "a distant view ~
the tower.
Aud there the sunheama that flashed
from spear head and spnrkld from
the jewcled dresses % lads fair Gal.
liant knight and waiting esquire sank
into shadows amid tho folds ~ the
Branks0me banner, which BRINK.
some hands had flung Odrr mora
from the battlements of Tynrtnle
tower Dark and aullau hung tho
siIken folds, heavy with shame And
dark grew the brow Of the lord al
Tyncdale--dark even ~ the shudnw4
Of the forest, when that message met
hts eye The sun sank down nnd the
night came swiftly Ia cover alike the
hated banner and thclittlc hand nst-
ing under the edge oftha wooded hin
m indifferent forester. to whom il
mattcrrd little whether thu tlng ~
the tower we're gttlrs or argent told
The brief tale Of the ,lnys farnv An
attack, q surprise, u weak defense n
lew hours Of desperate hand Ia hand
lighting within the ntd walls nnd
then the sunset with its revelation.
that was all.
ne party eamp7d hastily.
We ARE helpless, sni1 tho otd
lord, bitterly; within those wnlt. -
handful may hugh at q host vith.
out, q handful like this world I.e I'M
dash Of Summer ruiudropa ON Tho
stones, False stones, they protect
friend aud foe nlikc."
dale. = - W
My lord md father. nm II pleasc
you, will enter the tower. Nv hnrn
wiii PC my passport, for n minstrel
natll rec warrant TO hall aud bower
Once ~, It will go hnrd hut / AMI
means TO open the gates to our men
ere the morning" -, "
The old lords eye flashed To slt
the lever Of youth throb IN hia cons
ior a moment; then it passed Int h. M
oelleil nus own spirit kindlinr keen
si h,Sh IN the dauntless youth who
do, my child, The honor Of Tvre
daie u IN your hands" ~
20 " shortly came To pnss tint :,
IVY Young minstrel boldly demanded
aamlttance for his harp and himsoi,
at the gate whore Edwy of TymnI s,,,
might not pass for his life 4 m,do
"e,lDft,omegreeted him from tho hail 'o
Enter thou minstrel lad, Snch ,
Jay as this hath merited n ni,,Lt y
song What ballads hast thon ~ NJ, ~
are new?" ' '''ou tlht
n,oa nailaas new and old in plenty 20
pleasure the lords ofTynedale tn,,sa,. ~ J,
answered Edu,,, 81 y '''' loWeF.