The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-11-24
THE CURFEW.

| IL iickeu quite halt an hour of curfew
toll. The old bell ringer came from under
the wattled roof Of his cottage stoop and
stood with uncovered head in the clear,
sweet scented air. He had grown blind
and deaf i'll the service, but his arm was
as muscular rs ever. and he who listened
this day marked no faltering in the heavy
metallic throbs of the cathedral bell Old
jasper had lived through many changes.
| He had tolled out it's notes of mourning
| for good Queen Bcss, and, with tears
scarcely dry, he had rung the glad tidings
| OF the coronation of James. Charles had
been crowned, reigned, and eXpiated his
weakness before all England in Jasper's
Time, ana now he who under his army
held all the commonwealth in the hollow
of his hand ruled as more than monarch
and still the old man, with the habit of a
long life upon him, rang his matin and
sorrow.
Jasper stood alone now, lifting his dim
med eyes up to the softly dappled sky.
The walls of his memory seemed so writ
ten over-so crossed and recrossed by the
annals of the life that had gone before that
there seemed little room for anything in
the present. Little rocked he that Crom-
wells spearsmen were camped on the
moor beyond the village-that Cromwell
himself rode with his guardsmen league
away; he only knew that the bell that had
been rung in the tower when William the
Conqueror had made curfew n law had
been spared by Puritan and Roundhead
and that his arm for sixty years had never
failed him at cventide.
He was moving with slow step toward
the gate, when Il woman came hurricdly
III from the street and stood beside him
lovely woman, but with face so blanchpd
that it seemed carved in the whitest of
marble with all its roundncss and dimnlcs
Her great, solemn eyes were raised to the
aged face in pitiful appeal, and the Inns
were forming words that he could not
understand.
'Speak up, lass. l am deaf and cannot
hear your clatter."
The voice raised, and the hands closnod
and unclasped, and rung themselves to-
gether, palm and palm.
For heavens sake. Jasper, do not ring
the curfew tonightr'
"What, ma ring curfewl You must be
daft, lassie."
Jasper for sweet heavens sake-for nv
sake-for one night in all your long life for
get to ring the bcll Fail this once and NV
lover shall live. whom Cromwell SAYS shall
die Mt curfew toll. Do you hear? NV
iover-Richard Temple. See, Jasper here
40 'iCHSJ W hihhC JOuI Olu uEc naDDT. L
sold my jewels that the Lady Maud gave
me, and the gold shall be yours for one
curfew.n
Would you bride me, Lily de We're?
Yc're changeling. Ye've ma the blood of
the Plantagenets in ye're veins as we're
mother had. What! corrupt the bell ringer
under her majesty, good Queen Bess? Not
for all the gold that Lady Maud could
bring mel What is your lover to me?
Babes have been born and strong men have
died before now at the ringing of my bell
Avail awa'p'
And out on the village green, with the
shadows of the lindens lengthening over it,
strong man awaited the curfew to toll for
his death He STOOL handsome, brave and
tall-taller by an inch than the talest pike
man who guarded him.
What had he done that he should die9
Little it mattered in those days, when the
sword that the great Cromwell welded
was so prone to fall, what he or others had
done. He had been scribe to the late lord
up mt the castle, and Lady Maud, forget
ting that man must WOO and woman must
wait, had given her heart to him without the
asking, while the gentle Lily de We're, dis
tant kinswoman and poor companion to her.
had without seeking found the treasures of
his true love and held them fast. Then he
had joined the army and made one of the
pious soldiers whose evil passions had
never been stirred but by sign or symbol
OF popery. But Scorned woman's hatred
had reached him even there Enemies and
deep plots had comprised him about and
conquered him. Tonight he was to die
The beautiful world lay as vivid pic
ture before him. The dark greenwood
above the rocky hill where Robin Hood
and his merry men had dwclt; the frown.
,r,., L., ,,-st L. "a. L
towers; the long stretch of moor with the
purple shadows upon it; the green, straight
walks of the village; the birds overhead;
even the daisies at his feet he saw. But,
ali, more wildly than all, he saw the great
red sun with its haZy veil lingering above
the trees, as though it pitied him with
more than human pity.
He was God fearing and God serving
man. He had long made his peace with
heaven. Nothing stood between him and
death-nothing rose pleading between him
and those who were to destroy him but
the sweet face of Lily De We're, whom he
loved. She had knelt at Cromwells feet
and pleaded for his life. She had wearied
heaven with her prayers, but all without
avail.
Slowly now the great sun went down.
Slowly the last red rim was hid behind the
greenwood. Thirty seconds more and his
soul would be with his God The color
did not forsake his cheeks. The dark
rings of hair lay upon warm brow. 1t
was his purpose to die as martyrs and
brave men die. What was life that he
should cling to itp He already felt the air
pulsate with the first heavy roll of the
death knell. But no sound came Still
facing the soldiers with his clear gray eyes
upon them he waited. The crimson ban
ners in the west were paling to pink. The
kline had ceased their lowing and had been
gathered into the barnyards.