St. Nicholas/Volume 32/Number 4/Barry
Barry
By Mary Rowles Jarvis.
Away on the mountain’s shoulder,
Where the storm-wind’s icy breath
Blows keen over drift and boulder,
A blast from the hills of death,
Where the storm-wind’s icy breath
Blows keen over drift and boulder,
A blast from the hills of death,
The lights of the Hospice glistened
Far over the wastes of snow,
And the monks, at their vespers, listened
To the moan of the storm below.
Far over the wastes of snow,
And the monks, at their vespers, listened
To the moan of the storm below.
For the snow-cloud’s awful curtain
Had shrouded the Pass all day,
And the pathway, at best uncertain,
Deep buried in snow-drifts lay.
Had shrouded the Pass all day,
And the pathway, at best uncertain,
Deep buried in snow-drifts lay.
But safe in the courtyard herded,
The dogs with their master stood,
Till each broad neck should be girded
With cordial and light and food.
The dogs with their master stood,
Till each broad neck should be girded
With cordial and light and food.
Then away! every foe defying,
Their noble work to perform,
To search for the lost ones lying
Asleep in the pitiless storm.
Their noble work to perform,
To search for the lost ones lying
Asleep in the pitiless storm.
Not one had been known to tarry,
Or falter at duty's call,
But the king of the dogs was Barry,
The bravest dog of them all.
Or falter at duty's call,
But the king of the dogs was Barry,
The bravest dog of them all.
For out of the drifts ensnaring,
Where their tottering victim strives,
By his deeds of noble daring
He had rescued a score of lives.
Where their tottering victim strives,
By his deeds of noble daring
He had rescued a score of lives.
That day, through the tempest climbing,
Two travelers urged their way,
The plan of their journey timing
By night with the monks to stay.
Two travelers urged their way,
The plan of their journey timing
By night with the monks to stay.
But the snowflakes traveled faster,
And soon in the whirl of the gale
Each step threatened new disaster,
And courage began to fail.
And soon in the whirl of the gale
Each step threatened new disaster,
And courage began to fail.
And one of them fumed in anger
And said, as he paused at length,
“A curse on this terrible languor!
Let us drink to revive our strength:
And said, as he paused at length,
“A curse on this terrible languor!
Let us drink to revive our strength:
“’T is well I ’ve a flagon handy.”
But his comrade, in sore affright,
Cried, “Man, if you taste of brandy,
You ’re dead ere the morning light!”
But his comrade, in sore affright,
Cried, “Man, if you taste of brandy,
You ’re dead ere the morning light!”
In vain was his wrathful pleading,
Entreaty, or threatening strong,
For, warning and protest unheeding,
The other drank deep and long.
Entreaty, or threatening strong,
For, warning and protest unheeding,
The other drank deep and long.
It silenced his noisy grumbling:
But soon, where the drifts lay deep,
In drowsy confusion stumbling,
He fell in a heavy sleep.
But soon, where the drifts lay deep,
In drowsy confusion stumbling,
He fell in a heavy sleep.
And over the mountain’s shoulder,
The storm-wind’s icy breath
In the murky gloom blew colder,
A blast from the hills of death!
The storm-wind’s icy breath
In the murky gloom blew colder,
A blast from the hills of death!
A ring at the Hospice gateway,
And a voice that was like a groan,
And the brethren opened straightway
To a traveler there alone.
And a voice that was like a groan,
And the brethren opened straightway
To a traveler there alone.
He told them, in tones unsteady,
Of his comrade lost below,
And Barry, alert and ready,
Was summoned at once to go.
Of his comrade lost below,
And Barry, alert and ready,
Was summoned at once to go.
“Safe in the Courtyard Herded.”
Where the pall of the storm was rifted
By the flickering lantern-shine,
His beautiful eyes were lifted
To watch for his masters’ sign—
By the flickering lantern-shine,
His beautiful eyes were lifted
To watch for his masters’ sign—
Then away! through the cold and danger,
By no false trail beguiled,
To search for the outcast stranger
Alone in the tempest wild.
By no false trail beguiled,
To search for the outcast stranger
Alone in the tempest wild.
And swiftly he tracked and found him,
With a cry of brave delight,
And pawed at the drifts around him,
Still barking with all his might.
With a cry of brave delight,
And pawed at the drifts around him,
Still barking with all his might.
Then he licked the hand and harkened
Till the traveler moved again,
Awake, but with thought still darkened
By the drink that had dulled his brain.
Till the traveler moved again,
Awake, but with thought still darkened
By the drink that had dulled his brain.
For he fancied, in drunken error,
A wild beast faced him there;
And with cries of abject terror,
In a frenzy of despair,
A wild beast faced him there;
And with cries of abject terror,
In a frenzy of despair,
He groped, in his stupid madness,
For the clasp-knife in his coat,
And while the dog whined for gladness,
He plunged it in Barry’s threat!
For the clasp-knife in his coat,
And while the dog whined for gladness,
He plunged it in Barry’s threat!
But with pity and love unswerving,
His noble task to fulfil,
In spite of his ill-deserving
The brave dog licked him still,
His noble task to fulfil,
In spite of his ill-deserving
The brave dog licked him still,
And mastered his dulled resistance
And led him steadily on,
Where, far through the frozen distance,
The lights of the Hospice shone.
And led him steadily on,
Where, far through the frozen distance,
The lights of the Hospice shone.
Still upward his footsteps urging,
His slow, sad steps of pain,
Though the heights around were surging
And his life-blood fell like rain,
His slow, sad steps of pain,
Though the heights around were surging
And his life-blood fell like rain,
Safe home to the lighted gateway,
Where the monks in wonder cried,
He guided his slayer, and straightway
Fell down at their feet and died!
Where the monks in wonder cried,
He guided his slayer, and straightway
Fell down at their feet and died!
“To search for the outcast stranger alone in the Tempest Wild.”
Right well had he won his guerdon
Of love and eternal fame;
But who may describe the burden
Of pity, remorse, and shame
Of love and eternal fame;
But who may describe the burden
Of pity, remorse, and shame
That filled one heart on the morrow,
Or his sufferings who may say—
For in pangs of a life-long sorrow
It could not be purged away!
Or his sufferings who may say—
For in pangs of a life-long sorrow
It could not be purged away!
And still, as the nights grow colder,
And the storm-wind’s icy breath
Blows keen o’er the mountain’s shoulder,
A blast from the hills of death,
And the storm-wind’s icy breath
Blows keen o’er the mountain’s shoulder,
A blast from the hills of death,
The dogs go forth through the blindness
And whirl of the driving snow,
And carry their help and kindness
To travelers lost below;
And whirl of the driving snow,
And carry their help and kindness
To travelers lost below;
And still in the Hospice’ story
Of courage and love sublime,
One name hath a crown of glory
That never shall fade with time;
Of courage and love sublime,
One name hath a crown of glory
That never shall fade with time;
“Then he licked the hand and harkened till the traveler moved again.”
For as long as the annals declaring
His deed shall be handed down,
As long as unselfish daring
Inherits its sure renown,
His deed shall be handed down,
As long as unselfish daring
Inherits its sure renown,
The heart of the world shall carry,
Where love keepeth watch and guard,
The beautiful tale of Barry,
The hero of St. Bernard!
Where love keepeth watch and guard,
The beautiful tale of Barry,
The hero of St. Bernard!
