Chips, fragments and vestiges by Gail Hamilton collected and arranged by H. Augusta Dodge |
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“LITTLE KATY” |
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 | Chips, fragments and vestiges by Gail Hamilton |  |
79
“LITTLE KATY”
Meekly in her life's glad spring-time
Hath she laid her down to rest;
Folded are the white hands gently
On the still untroubled breast;
On the pale and pulseless forehead
Clustering locks all damply lie;
Beams no light of love and gladness
From the ever closèd eye.
Hath she laid her down to rest;
Folded are the white hands gently
On the still untroubled breast;
On the pale and pulseless forehead
Clustering locks all damply lie;
Beams no light of love and gladness
From the ever closèd eye.
Softly over hill and valley
Steals the fragrant southern breeze,
Whispering with a low-voiced sadness
To the gloomy forest trees;
On the hillside and the meadow
Where the clouds their shadows fling,
By the broad, blue-rolling river
Stands the warmly smiling spring.
Steals the fragrant southern breeze,
Whispering with a low-voiced sadness
To the gloomy forest trees;
On the hillside and the meadow
Where the clouds their shadows fling,
By the broad, blue-rolling river
Stands the warmly smiling spring.
But her lightly-bounding footstep
Presseth not the velvet earth;
Through the lonely halls resoundeth
Nevermore her tone of mirth.
In the charmèd household circle,
Which her love hath blessed so long,
Meet ye not her kindly welcome,
Hear ye not her joyous song.
Presseth not the velvet earth;
Through the lonely halls resoundeth
Nevermore her tone of mirth.
In the charmèd household circle,
Which her love hath blessed so long,
Meet ye not her kindly welcome,
Hear ye not her joyous song.
80
Let the bright eye and the sunny,
Weep the eye forever dim;
Let the red lips for the pallid
Breathe a mournful requiem;
Let the heart with life-blood throbbing,
Mourn the heart beneath the sod;
But let fall no tear of sorrow
For the soul gone up to God.
Weep the eye forever dim;
Let the red lips for the pallid
Breathe a mournful requiem;
Let the heart with life-blood throbbing,
Mourn the heart beneath the sod;
But let fall no tear of sorrow
For the soul gone up to God.
Gone in youth and love and beauty,
To the mansions of the blest,
Where the wicked cease from troubling,
And the weary are at rest;
Ere the cup of life was mingled
With the wormwood and the gall,
Ere the joys of life were withered
Like the autumn leaves in fall.
To the mansions of the blest,
Where the wicked cease from troubling,
And the weary are at rest;
Ere the cup of life was mingled
With the wormwood and the gall,
Ere the joys of life were withered
Like the autumn leaves in fall.
“Gone before us,” “little Katy,”
Through the Jordan's swelling stream,
To the land of light and glory,
From this land of doubt and dream.
“Gone before us,” “little Katy,”
Through the portals of the skies,
“Dead thou art not, but departed,
For the spirit never dies.”
Through the Jordan's swelling stream,
To the land of light and glory,
From this land of doubt and dream.
“Gone before us,” “little Katy,”
Through the portals of the skies,
“Dead thou art not, but departed,
For the spirit never dies.”
81
“Little Katy,” for a moment
Canst thou leave the realms of day?
From the Saviour's marrèd visage,
Canst thou ever turn away?
From the choral band of angels,
Can thy harp be laid aside?
Then, dear Katy, may we wait thee
At the quiet evening tide?
Canst thou leave the realms of day?
From the Saviour's marrèd visage,
Canst thou ever turn away?
From the choral band of angels,
Can thy harp be laid aside?
Then, dear Katy, may we wait thee
At the quiet evening tide?
Meet us when the morning blusheth
O'er the everlasting hills;
Meet us when the sunlight danceth
In the thousand mountain rills.
Though our eyes may not behold thee
In thy robes of spotless white,
Be thy spirit near us guiding
Ever onward to the right.
O'er the everlasting hills;
Meet us when the sunlight danceth
In the thousand mountain rills.
Though our eyes may not behold thee
In thy robes of spotless white,
Be thy spirit near us guiding
Ever onward to the right.
And when Earth from us recedeth,
Shrinking back from Death's alarms,
Gently laid beneath us also
Be the everlasting arms.
Safely passed into the Heavens
Shall thy song and ours be one,
Glory be to God the Father
And the ever blessed Son.
God the Spirit—God the Son.
Shrinking back from Death's alarms,
Gently laid beneath us also
Be the everlasting arms.
Safely passed into the Heavens
Shall thy song and ours be one,
Glory be to God the Father
And the ever blessed Son.
God the Spirit—God the Son.
April 26, 1853.
| Chips, fragments and vestiges by Gail Hamilton | |