Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1897-06-12

Till eft soon he was shrewdly begulled.
For hoary old Druid approached him one
When the youth was poverty-prest,
And said in gentle, persuasive way,
"Come now, and your mind set at rest.
Come wager with me, Tor you cannot but WIN,
And I've guineas enough and to spare"
And the Druid lost, with sick ming grin.
'Twere best for the youth to beware.
regain'd,
Then wager'd and won fair bride,
But to temptation weak lin nothing RESTRAINED,
He could not in blessing abide.
He wager'd once more, and his bride was the
stake,
The cold-eyed Druid was there,
And he bounced on his prey, when at last he
could make
That callow, weak youthling despair.
And bride-bereft he WANDERED the shore,
| Where the whirls their white spray shed,
| And out of the mist that the sea-breeze bore,
| A naiad quick outsped.
| And she told him the secret, and gave him
| the charm
By which his desire he might gain.
With him she wept; but sturdy right arm,
| Was never, she said, in vain.
Never again would his Joy return,
| His bride and wealth come back,
Ill ny CONQUEST anu sGIile, Hc SAouiu hnail ~
earn
A relief from his mind s sad wrack,
And gain from its bearer the fam'd sword OF
light;
| For arm'd with that sword he was sure.
That nought could Withstand him, of power
| and of might,
That nought 'gainst that sword could
endure.
And he fastened back DER the shingly shore
| While the gulls low-f1app'd nearby,
And he Travelled the shores mosaic once
more,
Looking above at the sky,
For a line of gold hpp'd the wan, wide west
And sent thrill DER the sea,
Fen thro the youths sad heart opprest,
| thrill of ecstacy.
Der land and sea on enchanted steed,
trong-hearted he sped on his way,
And he left beneath the heaven-cloud mead,
And the light pure realms of day,
To the castle walls where his bride was born;
Her father, good Druid was he,
Said the sought-for sword by another was
borne,
Deep-skill'd in sorcery.
paid,
The sorcerer's castle he sought,
Where were three high walls by none DER
scaled,
And there seem q no safer spot.
Yet Der two walls his magic steed
| Bore him one day and the next,
While the Druid, vanquish'd, and forced to
recede,
Was deeply and sadly perplext.
For never before was his magic ill-spent,
But here his entertainments were vain;
| The Jealous youth so austerely bent,
No menace could now restrain.
For his hope grew bright, and his heart grew
strong
When after he crossed each wall,
| 1t crumbled to dust and sifted along
| At the wind-wave's beck and call.
Steedess the third day his journey he went,
With harp like Orpheus old;
He swept its strings, and gently bent
| The trees within the void.
| Ger down-cast walls he made his way
| Up to the sorcerers room,
Where he IN Druid slumber lay,
Lull'd by the harp, to doom.
With impetuous hands he seized the sword.
Which hung by the chimney
Sheath in its scabbard, dark and gored,
| And back to his steed he HE'D.
| He scourd o er land and away DER sea
Till he found the Druid old,
Who had lost him his wealth and his bride
| fair to see,
And now regal'd with his gold.
| AS he drew from us SileaIu the SWORD oil light.
| 1t flash'd like the morning sun;
| And the wretched Druid he slew in his
might,
Exutant when the deed was done.
He regain'd his bride, and with wealth re-
stor'd,
On him kind fortune smil'd,
But he ever kept by his side the sword,
The 'Sword of Light well-styl'd.
A bit of older-world romance,
A treasure-trove wonld enhance,
And weave with wanton hand
The fancied tissue of legend old,
Full-rich bejewell'd, warp of gold,
Containing silver strand.
Though small the gift that fancy grants,
There Is n wondrous consouauce