 | When life is young |  |
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MASTER THEODORE
(Old Nurse's Story.)
Tittlebat Titmouse Theodore Van Horn
Was the prettiest baby that ever was born.
I bathed him and fed him and taught him “Bo-peep,”
Rocked him and trotted him, sang him to sleep.
Then I bade him good-by, and crossed the wide sea,
And it rolled twenty years 'twixt that baby and me;
Till at last I resolved I would cross the blue main
And hug my own precious wee baby again.
Was the prettiest baby that ever was born.
I bathed him and fed him and taught him “Bo-peep,”
Rocked him and trotted him, sang him to sleep.
Then I bade him good-by, and crossed the wide sea,
And it rolled twenty years 'twixt that baby and me;
Till at last I resolved I would cross the blue main
And hug my own precious wee baby again.
Well, that old ship creaked, and that old ship tossed,—
I was sure as I lived that we all should be lost,—
But at last we saw sea-gulls, and soon we saw land;
And then we were in; and—if there did n't stand
My own blessed baby! He came there to meet me!
Yes, when we all landed, he hastened to greet me!
And wonder of wonders! that baby had grown
To be bigger than I, and he stood all alone!
I was sure as I lived that we all should be lost,—
But at last we saw sea-gulls, and soon we saw land;
And then we were in; and—if there did n't stand
My own blessed baby! He came there to meet me!
Yes, when we all landed, he hastened to greet me!
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To be bigger than I, and he stood all alone!
“Why, Nursey!” he said (he could talk, think of that!),
As he bowed like a marquis and lifted his hat.
“Ah, how did you know your old Nursey? Oh, my!
You 've changed very much, and no wonder,” says I;
When I spied of a sudden his mother, behind,—
Sweet lady! She 'd helped him his Nursey to find.
And he told me, right there, he 'd a sweet little wife
And I should live with them the rest of my life.
As he bowed like a marquis and lifted his hat.
“Ah, how did you know your old Nursey? Oh, my!
You 've changed very much, and no wonder,” says I;
When I spied of a sudden his mother, behind,—
Sweet lady! She 'd helped him his Nursey to find.
And he told me, right there, he 'd a sweet little wife
And I should live with them the rest of my life.
So I'm here, and right happy. You just ought to see
The dear little fellow who sits on my knee.
He has beautiful dimples and eyes like Mama,
And his nose and his chin make you think of Papa.
Ah, me! He 's a beauty! There never was born
A lovelier babe than this latest Van Horn.
The dear little fellow who sits on my knee.
He has beautiful dimples and eyes like Mama,
And his nose and his chin make you think of Papa.
Ah, me! He 's a beauty! There never was born
A lovelier babe than this latest Van Horn.
| When life is young | |