Oh, speak! who may the bridegroom be?" А сту the blind girl gave, but nothing said; A milky whiteness spreads upon her cheeks; An icy hand, as heavy as lead, Descending, as her brother speaks, Upon her heart, that has ceased to beat, She stands beside the boy, now sore distressed, At length, the bridal song again "Hark! the joyous airs are ringing! "Holy Virgin! what dreadful heat! I thought my turn would come ere long, It must seem long to him;-methinks I see him now!" Jane, shuddering, her hand doth press: We must not trust too much to happiness;- It is no sin, for God is on my side!" It was enough; and Jane no more replied. Now to all hope her heart is barred and cold; So that, departing at the evening's close She says, "She may be saved! she nothing knows!" Poor Jane, the cunning sorceress ! Now that thou wouldst, thou art no prophetess; 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 bodice of bright scarlet dye, The one, fantastic, light as air, 'Mid kisses ringing, And joyous singing, Forgets to say her morning prayer! The other, with cold drops upon her brow, Joins her two hands, and kneels upon the floor, And whispers, as her brother opes the door, And then the orphan, young and blind, Towards the church, through paths unscanned, And in the sky as yet no sunny ray, Near that castle, fair to see, And proud of its name of high degree, At the base of the rock, is builded there; Its sacred summit, swept by autumn gales, Round which the osprey screams and sails. Thus Margaret said. "Where are we? we ascend!" Take care of Paul; I feel that I am dying!' There is his grave; there stands the cross we set; 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 Touches the crown of filigrane At length the bell, With booming sound, Sends forth, resounding round, Its hymeneal peal o'er rock and down the dell. For soon arrives the bridal train, And with it brings the village throng. In sooth, deceit maketh no mortal gay, And Angela thinks of her cross, I wis; To be a bride is all! The pretty lisper Feels her heart swell to hear all around her whisper, "How beautiful! how beautiful she is!" 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! 'Tis spoken; and sudden at the groomsman's side ""Tis he!" a well-known voice has cried. And while the wedding guests all hold their breath, Opes the confessional, and the blind girl, see! 66 Baptiste," she said, "since thou hast wished my death, As holy water be my blood for thee! And calmly in the air a knife suspended! For anguish did its work so well, At eve, instead of bridal verse, Village girls in robes of snow 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 BARÔZAL. I HEAR along our street On their hautboys, Christmas songs! Let us by the fire Ever higher Sing them till the night expire! In December ring In the streets their merry rhymes. Let us by the fire Ever higher 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. |