The Mask of the Red Death - Graham's Magazine, May 1842 — reading text

only have been romance, that idol of the young and enthusiastic. Among the numerous accounts of the peninsular ew. Aaa enacted by persons who knew perfectly well what it ought to be. Their firelocks were rough sticks, corn- war which have been given to the world by English stalks, and shut umbrellas—and when the captain officers, Iwas much struck by a little incident that was calling the muster-roll, the names to which his I once read in a description of the entrance of Wel- men answered were ludicrous in the extreme. lington’s army into France while expelling the French  RECOLLECTIONS OF WEST POINT. 293 a from Spain and following them into their own land nominated General Swift’s March, and Lieutenant beyond the Pyrenees. The first division of the Blaney’s Quickstep, were perhaps the best. To English troops had at length reached the frontier. some he did not even take the trouble to affix a title, After a day of toilsome march the regiment to which but distinguished them by numbers. Sometimes our author belonged encamped for the night in the when we sent out to ask the name of “ that fine new far-famed valley of Roncevalles, where a thousand march or quickstep that the band had just played,” years before the army of Charlemagne in attempting he would reply that it was No. 12 or No. 16. The the invasion of Spain, had been driven back by the officers often suggested to him the publication of these Spanish Moors and defeated with great slaughter, admirable pieces as a source of profit to himself, and and the loss of his best and noblest paladins, includ- of pleasure to the community; but with his habitual ing ‘‘Reland brave, and Olivier.” The mind of our carelessness of his own interest, he always neglected narrater was carried back to the chivalrous days of taking any steps for the purpose. There is reason the dark ages, and he might almost have listened for to fear that few or no copies of them are now in exist- ence: and therefore they will be lost for ever to ‘¢ The blast of that dread horn the admirers of martial music. Willis lived about On Fontarabian echoes borne The dying hero’s eall.”’ twelve years at West Point, and died there of a linger- ing illness in 1830. It was a clear cool evening—the sun had sunk When the manager of the Park Theatre was getting behind the hills—the roll had been called, the centi- up a new musical piece or reviving an old one, he nels posted, and the band of the regiment was play- generally borrowed Willis, for a few of the first even- ing. The English officer, imbued with the subject ings, to play in the orchestra. On one of these oc- of his reverie, advanced to request of its leader that casions he took down with him to New York his two beautiful air little boys, neither of whom had ever been in a thea- tre. Mr. Simpson, the manager, allotted them seats *¢ Sad and fearful is the story in his private box over one of the stage doors. Both Of the Roneevalles fight,’»—— the children had been instructed by their father, and sung very well. The after piece was O’Keefe’s little when he was unexpectedly anticipated by one of opera of Sprigs of Laurel. In the duett between the his companions in arms, another young officer whose two rival soldiers, in which each in his turn cele- thoughts had been running in the same channel, and brates the charms of Mary, the major’s daughter, one who had stepped forward before him with the same of the boys on hearing the symphony, exclaimed to request. The wild and melancholy notes of Lewis’s his brother—‘‘ Why Jem! that’s our duett—the very popular song now rose upon the still evening air, on last we’ve been practising.” ‘So it is,” replied the very same spot where ten centuries ago the bat- Jem, “let’s join in and sing it with them.” Un- tle that it lamented, had been fought. conscious of such a proceeding being the least out On the West Point band I have frequently heard of rule, they united their voices to those of the two music of a soft and touching character played with actors, and went through the song with them in per- a taste and pathos that almost drew tears from the fect time and tune. The soldiers were amazed at hearers—for instance, the sad but charming Scottish this unexpected addition to their duett, but looking air, up, soon found from whence the sound proceeded. Willis (who was in the orchestra) became greatly ‘‘Oh! Mary when the wild wind blows.”’ disconcerted, and in vain made signs to his children to cease. Their attention was too much engaged to I have heard Willis say, that after the publication perceive his displeasure. The audience were not of the Irish melodies was planned, he was engaged long in discovering the young singers, and loudly by Moore and Sir John Stevenson, to travel in bye applauded them, equally pleased with the néiveté of roads and remote places among the peasantry, for the the boys and their proficiency in vocalism. purpose ofcollecting from them all the songs and tunes It was formerly customary for the West Point band peculiar to their country. He frequently passed the to play sacred music every Sunday morning, in the night in their cabins, were he was always hospitably camp, after the guard, was marched off. received, and where he was liked the better for mak- a ing himself at home among the people; singing new ‘¢ Sweet as the shepherd’s tuneful reed,’” songs for them, (he was a good singer) and inducing them to sing him old ones in return. So that in this was performed by them delightfully. way he caught a great number of national airs, which Before the erection of the present edifiee as a were then new to him, and which he afterwards put church, public worship was held in the large room de- in score. It was for these melodies that the minstrel signated as the chapel. The chaplains of the United of Ireland wrote those exquisite songs, on which he States Military Academy, like the chaplain of con- may rest his fairest claim to immortality. gress, may be chosen from the clergy of any denomina- Willis was himself an excellent composer of tion. But as their congregation consists of persons from military music. While at West Point he produced every part of the union, and of every religious denomi- a number of very fine marches and-quick steps, nation, according to the faith in which they have been usually calling them after the officers. Those de- educated by their parents, it is understood that the 250%  294 GRAHAM’S MAGAZINE. pastor will have sufficient good taste, or rather good tous, down to the Kinsley farm house, a mile or two sense, to refrain from all attempts to advance the below. The path along these rocks was narrow, peculiar doctrines of his own immediate sect. After rugged, dark and dangerous. In some places it was the officers and professors have all come in and taken impeded by trees growing so close together, and so their appropriate seats, the cadets make their en- near the verge of the precipice that it was expedient trance in a body, and occupy the benches allotted to in passing along to cling to their trunks, or to catch them. Iwas one Sunday at the chapel, when five hold of their lower branches, as a support against the graduates, or ex-cadets, all of whom had recently danger of falling down the rocksthat impended over been honored with commissions in the engineers, the river. Yet with all its perils and difficulties this came in together, habited in their new uniforms, (that was an interesting walk to any lover of nature in her of the engineers is the handsomest in the army,) and rudest aspects. There were wild vines and wild for the first time took their seats with the officers. I roses, and the trees were so old and lofty, and their could have said with Sterne—‘* Oh! how I envied shade so solemn and impervious. And at their roots them their feelings"? One of these young gentle- grew clusters of ephemeral plants, of the fungus men was a Jew; andas_I looked at him that day, I tribe it is true, but glowing with the most brilliant hoped he was grateful to the God of Abraham for colors, yellow, orange, scarlet and crimson, often having cast his lot in a country where the Hebrew diversified with a group that was white as snow. faith can be no impediment to advancement in any Sometimes we saw a lizard of the finest verditer- profession either civil or military. Are ‘‘the wander- green, gliding among the blocks of granite; and ers of Israel,’’ who still have so much to contend sometimes on hearing a slight chattering above our with in the old world, sufficiently aware of the ad- heads, we looked up and saw the squirrel as he vantages they would derive from changing their residence to the new ? ——“‘‘ leap’d from tree to tree It is a custom among the cadets, after they have And shell’d his nuts at liberty.” completed their course of study, obtained their com- missions as lieutenants, and received orders for re- In the decline of a beautiful afternoon when “ the pairing to their respective posts, to have a farewell- sun was hasting to the west,’’ and the sweet notes meeting previous to their departure from West Point. of the wood-thrush had already began “ to hymn the At this meeting it is understood that all offences, fading fires of day,’ I set out on a walk accompa- é i bickerings and animosities, which may have arisen nied by two young ladies from Philadelphia, whom } among them during their four years intercourse as in our daily rambles I had already guided to some of ''