Penny Dreadfuls, 1923 · page 110 of 116
The Taking of Helen by John Masefield — page 110: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Analysis: "The Taking of Helen" This is a page of running prose (page 98) from what appears to be a Victorian serialized narrative. The text describes a ship departing by rowboat, with a character named Nireus watching horsemen on shore while Helen stands beside him weeping. An old sailor sings a melancholic ballad about romantic betrayal and loss—a woman who took the singer's friend and stripped him of everything. The song's refrain questions whether anyone would change such painful desire. The narrative combines maritime adventure with themes of love, loss, and resignation to fate characteristic of penny dreadful melodrama.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
98 THE TAKING OF HELEN the rowlocks grunted as the rowing began. The master ran to the steering oar and pulled three vigorous strokes and the ship slid onward and away. “Overhaul your gear and sheet home,” the master cried. Nireus saw the black shapes of horsemen ride up against the sky on the little knoll beyond the rocks. He could no longer see Myrtle and The Sightless, for they stood lower down and were merged in the dark- ness of the boulders. Helen stood beside him, staring out to sea, her fair hair was blowing in the wind and tears were running down her face. An old sailor for- ward at the sheets began to sing a hauling song: Give all for love, my bon-ny boys, And ask for no re-turn-a, — For sorrow follows after joys, And that’s the way to learn-a. I had a lovely love so fair, I gave my all to woo-a, She took my friend and left me bare, For that’s the way they do-a. She stripped me naked to the mire, And off away she ranged-a, For men are hurt by their desire, But who would have it changed-a? CORNICLOOKS.EO