 | Moral songs |  |
11
THE WIDOW'S CHILD.
Who is that gentle little girl,
That when the rest are all at play,
Breaks softly from the merry crowd,
And through the village steals away?
That when the rest are all at play,
Breaks softly from the merry crowd,
And through the village steals away?
Why did her small lip quiver so,
When father at my kisses smiled?
Then faster still she hurried by—
It is the widow's only child.
When father at my kisses smiled?
Then faster still she hurried by—
It is the widow's only child.
Beyond the village stands her home,
Two paces backward from the lane;
The jasmine on that cottage wall,
Has almost choked the window pane.
Two paces backward from the lane;
The jasmine on that cottage wall,
Has almost choked the window pane.
There is no hand to trim it now,
His idle shears are hanging by;
And she has hid his working coat,
Because it made her mother cry.
His idle shears are hanging by;
And she has hid his working coat,
Because it made her mother cry.
Once, when we passed along the road,
It was a joyful sound to hear,
The strong man timing his hard work,
Unto his whistle loud and clear.
It was a joyful sound to hear,
The strong man timing his hard work,
Unto his whistle loud and clear.
But now, one woman pale and sad,
The white cap binding close her hair,
Is sitting at the door alone,
Or working on in silence there.
The white cap binding close her hair,
Is sitting at the door alone,
Or working on in silence there.
But when she cannot see her work,
For tears that fill her darkening eye,
And when her heart is like to break,
For thinking of the days gone by;
For tears that fill her darkening eye,
12
For thinking of the days gone by;
Close to her side with noiseless tread,
Her little daughter draweth near,
And pats her with her gentle hand,
And kisses off the falling tear.
Her little daughter draweth near,
And pats her with her gentle hand,
And kisses off the falling tear.
She cannot bear to leave her long,
She helps her in her household tasks,
Reads all her wishes in her looks,
And fetches them before she asks.
She helps her in her household tasks,
Reads all her wishes in her looks,
And fetches them before she asks.
With her dark eyes so like to his,
She brings her dear thoughts of the past;
And smiles so sweetly in her face,
She needs must smile again at last.
She brings her dear thoughts of the past;
And smiles so sweetly in her face,
She needs must smile again at last.
So have I seen a sunbeam soft,
Steal through a sick man's darkened room,
And make the weary heart within
Forget awhile its pain and gloom.
Steal through a sick man's darkened room,
And make the weary heart within
Forget awhile its pain and gloom.
There's One Who is the widow's stay,
Who careth for the fatherless;
Sure He will love that little child,
And bless her for her tenderness.
Who careth for the fatherless;
Sure He will love that little child,
And bless her for her tenderness.
| Moral songs | |