Year: 1879

Englands sun was setting DER the hills 50 far away,
Filled the land with misty beauty at the close of one


sad day;
And the last rays kissed the forehead of man and


maiden fair;
He with steps 50 slow and weary she with sunny float


ing hair;
He with bowed head sad, and thoughtful;she with lips


so cold and white,
Struggling to keep back the murmur, /" Curfew must


not ring tonight"
Sexton" Bessies white lips faltered pointing to the


prison old
With its walls so tall and gloomy, walls so dark and


damp and cold
"Ive lover in that prison. doomed this very night to


die,
At the ringing of the curfew; and earthly help is


nigh.
Cromwelll not be here till sunset" and her face


strangely white.
As she spoke in husky whispers. Curfew must not


ring tonight"
Bessie calmly spoke the sexton every word pierced


her young heart
Like thousand cleaning arrows like deadly pois-


oned darD,-
Long. long years I've rung the curfew, from that


gloomy shadowed tower.
Every evening Just sunset it has told the twilight


hour;
have done my duty ever.-tried to do it just and


right.
NOW I'm Old VIII not miss itgirl, the curfew ring


tonight"
Wild her eyes, and pale each feature stern and white


her thoughtful brow,
AS, within her hearts deep centre Bessie made SOL


emn vow,
She had listened while judges read without tear or


sigh,
At the ringing of the curfew Basil Underwood must


die !"
And her breath fast and faster her eyes grew


large and bright
One low murmur scarcely spoken, Curfew must not


ring tonight"
She with light step bounded forward sprang within


the old church door,
Left the old man coming slowly. paths he'd trod 20


oft before.
Not one moment paused the maiden. but, with cheek


and brow aglOw,
She gazed up the gloomy tower where the bell rung


to oand fro;
Then she climbed the slimy ladder dark without one


ray of light
Upward still her pale lips say ing Curfew shall not


ring Tonight"
She has reached the the opmost ladder DER her hangs


the great dark bell,
And the awful CLEAN beneath her, like the pathway


down to hell,
See the ponderous tongue is swim ging tits the hour


of curfew now
And the sight has chilled her bosom stopped her breath


and paed her brow.
Shall she let it ring? No. never and her eyes flash


with sudden light,
AS she springs and grasps it rmly Curfew shall not


ring tonight !"
Out she swung, far out the city seemed tiny spcch


below;
There, twx heaven and earth suspended as the bell


swung to and fro,
And the haf-deaf sexton ringing (years he had not


heard the belD,
And he thought that twilight curfew rang young Ba.


sil's funeral-kne
Still the maiden, clinging firmly, cheek and brow SC


pale and white,
Stied her frightened hearts wild beating. Curfew


shall not ring tonight"
1t was oer.-the bell ceased swaying, and the maiden


stepped once more
Firmly on the damp old ladder, where for hundred


years before
Human foot had not been planted and what she this


night had done
Should be told long ages after the rays of setting



Light the sky with mellow beauty,-aged sires with


heads of white.
Tell the children why the curfew did not ring that one


sad night
Oer the distant hills came Cromwell Bessie saw him


and her brow,
Lately white with sickenng horror, glows with sudden
AT nsf9ep she tofu sto4J s-.o"ou


bruised and torn,
And her sweet young face so haggard. with look so


sad and worn,
Touched his heart with sudden pity,l his eyes with


misty light,
" Co. your lover lives" cried Cromwell, "Curfew shall
not ring tc-nght!"