Penny Dreadfuls, 1812 · page 224 of 258
Psyche, and other poems — page 224: what you’re looking at
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# Page 206: Running Prose from a Victorian Penny Dreadful This page contains numbered verse (page 206) presenting melodramatic poetry rather than prose. The passage depicts a soldier encountering a frightened child and woman fleeing down Glenmalure. The child, tears streaming, accuses the soldier of belonging to men who murdered her father. An old man identifies them as "Ellen Byrne" and her orphan boy, then turns away emotionally. The verses emphasize pathos and moral conflict—the soldier's gentle heart contrasted against the child's accusation and the mother's apparent distress—typical of penny dreadful sensationalism mixing military action with domestic tragedy and emotional manipulation.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
(206 ( ’Tis not alone the horn so shrill ;—— Diy Yon martial plume that waves on high, _ Bids every infant nerve tothrill =~ With more than infant agony. Yet gentle was the soldier’s heart, Whom ’mid the gallant troop he spied Who let the gallant troop depart, And checked his eager courser’s pride. “ What fears the child?” he wondering cried, With courteous air as near he drew. ** Soldier, away! my father died, Murdered by men of blood like you.” Even while the angry cherub speaks, He struggles from the stranger’s grasp : Kjssing the tears that bathed her cheeks, ‘His little arms his mother clasp. ’ ** And who are these,—this startled pair, Who swift down Glenmalure are fled ? Behold the mother’s maniac air, As seized with wild and sudden dread!” - “Tis Ellen Byrne,” an old man cried ; _ © Poor Ellen, and her orphan boy !” Then turned his silvered brow aside, To shun the youth’s inquiring eye. CONMIE OOKGaEOhn