THE BLIND GIRL OF CASTEL-CUILLÈ. 353 III. Now rings the bell, nine times reverberating, Queen of a day, by flatterers caressed, The one puts on her cross and crown, The other, blind, within her little room, And, 'neath her boddice of bright scarlet dye, The one, fantastic, light as air, And joyous singing, Forgets to say her morning prayer! The other, with cold drops upon her brow, And then the orphan, young and blind, Towards the church, through paths unscanned And in the sky as yet no sunny ray, But brumal vapors gray. VOL. I. 23 Near that castle, fair to see, Crowded with sculptures old, in every part, And proud of its name of high degree, At the base of the rock, is builded there; Above each jealous cottage roof, I's sacred summit, swept by autumn gales, Round which the osprey screams and sails. Thus Margaret said. "Where are we? we as cend!" "Yes; seest thou not our journey's end? Hearest not the osprey from the belfry cry? The hideous bird, that brings ill luck, we know! Dost thou remember when our father said, The night we watched beside his bed, 'O daughter, I am weak and low; Take care of Paul; I feel that I am dying!' Come in! The bride will be here soon: Thou tremblest! O my God! thou art going to swoon!" She could no more, the blind girl, weak and weary! A voice seemed crying from that grave so dreary, "What wouldst thou do, my daughter?"—and she started; And quick recoiled, aghast, faint-hearted; But Paul, impatient, urges ever more Her steps towards the open door ; And when, beneath her feet, the unhappy maid THE BLIND GIRL OF CASTEL-CUILLÈ. 355 And with her head, as Paul talks on again, At length the bell, Sends forth, resounding round, Its hymeneal peal o'er rock and down the dell. For soon arrives the bridal train, In sooth, deceit maketh no mortal gay, And Angela thinks of her cross, I wis; But she must calm that giddy head, At the holy table stands the priest; The wedding ring is blessed; Baptiste receives it; Ere on the finger of the bride he leaves it, He must pronounce one word at least! "T is spoken; and sudden at the groomsman's side ""I is he!" a well-known voice has cried. And while the wedding guests all hold their breath, Opes the confessional, and the blind girl, see! Baptiste," she said, "since thou hast wished my death, As holy water be my blood for thee!" At eve, instead of bridal verse, Nowhere was a smile that day, No, ah no! for each one seemed to say : "The roads should mourn and be veiled in gloom, So fair a corpse shall leave its home! Should mourn and should weep, ah, well-away! So fair a corpse shall pass to-day!" A CHRISTMAS CAROL. FROM THE NOEI BOURGUIGNON DE GUI BARÔZAI. I HEAR along our street Let us by the fire Ever higher Sing them till the night expire ! In December ring Every day the chimes; A CHRISTMAS CAROL. In the streets their merry rhymes. Sing them till the night expire. Shepherds at the grange, Ever higher Sing them till the night expire! These good people sang Ever higher Sing them till the night expire. Nuns in frigid cells At this holy tide, For want of something else, Christmas songs at times have tried. Let us by the fire Ever higher Sing them till the night expire! Washerwomen old, To the sound they beat, Let us by the fire Ever higher Sing them till the night expire. Who by the fireside stands 357 |