--William
finished
'Alice Fell'.
William Wordsworth
The sound continued, and he called
to the chaise-driver to stop. It was a little girl that was crying as
if her heart would burst. She had got up behind the chaise, and her
cloak had been caught by the wheel, and was jammed in, and it hung
there. She was crying after it, poor thing. Mr. Graham took her into
the chaise, and her cloak was released from the wheel, but the child's
misery did not cease, for her cloak was torn to rags. It had been a
miserable cloak before; but she had no other, and it was the greatest
sorrow that could befall her. Her name was Alice Fell. She had no
parents, and belonged to the next town. At the next town Mr. G. left
money to buy her a new cloak. "
"Friday (March 12). --In the evening after tea William wrote 'Alice
Fell'. "
"Saturday Morning (13th March).
--William finished 'Alice Fell'. . . . "
Ed.
The post-boy drove with fierce career,
For threatening clouds the moon had drowned;
When, as we hurried on, my ear
Was smitten with a startling sound. [1]
As if the wind blew many ways, 5
I heard the sound,--and more and more;
It seemed to follow with the chaise,
And still I heard it as before.
At length I to the boy called out;
He stopped his horses at the word, 10
But neither cry, nor voice, nor shout,
Nor aught else like it, could be heard.
The boy then smacked his whip, and fast
The horses scampered through the rain;
But, hearing soon upon the blast 15
The cry, I bade him halt again. [2]
Forthwith alighting on the ground,
"Whence comes," said I, "this piteous moan? " [3]
And there a little Girl I found,
Sitting behind the chaise, alone. 20
"My cloak! " no other word she spake,
But loud and bitterly she wept,
As if her innocent heart would break; [4]
And down from off her seat [5] she leapt.
"What ails you, child? "--she sobbed "Look here! " 25
I saw it in the wheel entangled,
A weather-beaten rag as e'er
From any garden scare-crow dangled.
to the chaise-driver to stop. It was a little girl that was crying as
if her heart would burst. She had got up behind the chaise, and her
cloak had been caught by the wheel, and was jammed in, and it hung
there. She was crying after it, poor thing. Mr. Graham took her into
the chaise, and her cloak was released from the wheel, but the child's
misery did not cease, for her cloak was torn to rags. It had been a
miserable cloak before; but she had no other, and it was the greatest
sorrow that could befall her. Her name was Alice Fell. She had no
parents, and belonged to the next town. At the next town Mr. G. left
money to buy her a new cloak. "
"Friday (March 12). --In the evening after tea William wrote 'Alice
Fell'. "
"Saturday Morning (13th March).
--William finished 'Alice Fell'. . . . "
Ed.
The post-boy drove with fierce career,
For threatening clouds the moon had drowned;
When, as we hurried on, my ear
Was smitten with a startling sound. [1]
As if the wind blew many ways, 5
I heard the sound,--and more and more;
It seemed to follow with the chaise,
And still I heard it as before.
At length I to the boy called out;
He stopped his horses at the word, 10
But neither cry, nor voice, nor shout,
Nor aught else like it, could be heard.
The boy then smacked his whip, and fast
The horses scampered through the rain;
But, hearing soon upon the blast 15
The cry, I bade him halt again. [2]
Forthwith alighting on the ground,
"Whence comes," said I, "this piteous moan? " [3]
And there a little Girl I found,
Sitting behind the chaise, alone. 20
"My cloak! " no other word she spake,
But loud and bitterly she wept,
As if her innocent heart would break; [4]
And down from off her seat [5] she leapt.
"What ails you, child? "--she sobbed "Look here! " 25
I saw it in the wheel entangled,
A weather-beaten rag as e'er
From any garden scare-crow dangled.
