5B. Blue-Eyed Ellen- Jarrell (WV) 1926
58 . BLUE-EYED ELLEN
(The Jealous Lover)
Contributed by Mr. J. M. Jarrell, Kichsvillo, Wayne County, September
29, 1926.
Way down in the lonely valley,
There the modest violets bloom,
There sleeps my bluo-eyed EIlen,
So lifoless in her tomb.
She died not brokon-hoarted,
Nor sickness caused her death,
But the fate of a jealous lover,
With a dagger pierced her breast.
Last night as the moon shone brightly,
The stars wore shining, too,
Up to her lonoly cottago,
Her jealous lovor drow,
Saying, trEllon, letrs take a rambler
lnd over the meadoyr strayl
To nurmur and to ponder,
And name our woddlng day. rr
'Down on this field I havo your
You have no wings to fly,
No rnortal arms can save your
Sweet Ellenr ;rou must dj.e.rl
Down on hor kneos beforo him,
- She pleaded for hor 1lfo;
But in her snow-white bosom,
He plunged a fatal hrife.
ilYour parents must forglve me
For the crlme that I have dono;
I I 11 go to some far country ,
Ir11 nover mor return.rf
"Dear Edward, Itll forgive yourn
Cane from her dying breath,
nI never have deceived !ou. tt
And she closod her eyes in death.
5. With the banner floating over her,
lo rvaks the bugler s sound,
A strangor oame and forrnd her,
Cold, llfeless on the ground.
Young Edward was convictod
And on the gallows swung,
For the nurdor of blue-eyod Ellen,
So lifeless in her tomb.
Laws F1 (a). See NC II 578.