Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-25
A CHRISTMAS BALLAD.
Beautiful Song OF the Season From the
Pen of Gifted Mary e. Wilkins.

Beautiful Song OF the Season From the
| Pen of Gifted Mary E. Wilkins.
Mary E Wilkins, the well-known author,
is spending few weeks in Brooklyn, the
object of much more distinguished atten-
| tion and proffered hospitality than she can
accept Everybody there Is surprised at
her youthful appearance, and no one dis
appointed in her individuality. She is
slender and not quite of average height,
with mass of brown gold hair that seems
almost too ponderous Tor her small we'll
shaped head She is fair and dclicateIy
featured, with graceful unassuming man
nera It is, however, not her apparent
personality that is the charm of intercourse
with her; it is rather curious sense Of her
communion with things out of reach of the
average mortal-an appreciation of her
treading of paths apart almost from human
ken-which may be after all only the up
lifting touch of her rare and unique genius
Below is a Christmas ballad Miss wilkins
wrote, perhaps a dozen years ago. tits
here printed almost for the first time:
At the gates of the palace the minstrels wore
CRYING:
"Fair king and fair mobiles. twill please ye
To hear
The Princlie Boy is born and is living ga
On pillow of lilies in holy Judea"
Noel, noelr' sang the minstrel boys
sweetly:
ION the mountains white dove wings the
Now follow, sweet shepherds-now follow
ye feetly;
Now blossom out greenly, frankincsnse
and myrrb!" s'
In the palace the harp-strings were merr1ly
The branches of silver had blossomed in
The mistletoe bough from the ceiling was
And the glow of the yule-iog was cheery
and bright.
The brown-bearded king at the banquet was
seated.
The tall, silver hngons were rosy with
The waits in the gateway all softly re-
peated: ....,s
"Now follow. sweet shepherds. and bow at
His shrine" ...
Proud lords and fair ladies were merrily hy-
ing
To the sound of the harp down the glitter
ing hall:
"oh, the glitter and savor," the minstrels
were crying,
"or the jewels and spice round the child
-
Oh, sad was the child, and the child he was
weeping;
How passed he the sentry that stood at the
door?
All drowsy with wassail, trow they were
sleeping, ...
The child was so sad, and so rnggd and
poor.
The STA teIy court-dames, in their jewels and
Drew back their rich robes as He meekly
went by. I
"oh, tnrny' sang the waits, turn your beau
tiful faces,
phalanx or angels, toward where He doth
lieI"
He moved mid the dancers. who scornfully
He knelt to the king. who was seated in
state.
away with the childr' cried the mobiles
Awaken ye sentry, who sleep at the gater'
Sweet lords" cried the sentry, "the north
wind Is blowing,
All naked and bare are his fair, little feet:
'Tis many an hour ere the cock will be
And the clouds are all laden with needles
of sleet."
The king drained the wine from his Jewell
rimmed chaIice:
"Awavr' shouted lie, with a laugh and
Jest;
"on merry yule night, in my coed royal
palace,
'Tis never beggar we'll have for guestr'
Then the wild wind went down, and softly
and sweetly,
In q fair. little garment, all bordered with
light
Passed the child, while the waits in the dis
tance sang sweetly,
"On pillow OF lies they've laid Him to-
night"
Then the wild wind went down, and light, !
like fountain,
Burst forth from the sky, while the |
Blessed Child sped
Away from the town, up the moon-silvered |
mountain.
With garland of beams round his beau
tiful head.
The sentry who loved Him In want and
aDasement,
The waits who had sung in the night wind
And, here and there, from some poor cot
A mother and babe sa W the Blessed Christ
child.
But the king and his court, who had Stunned |
HIM with scorning.
High wassafl they held all that fair Christ
Nor knew till they died. that on His birth
morning
The Blessed Christ child they had driven
away.