The Dying Nun

Let the air blow in upon me
Let me see the midnight sky
Stand back sisters from around me
Oh it is so hard to die
Raise the pillow up dear Martha
Sister Martha you are kind
Come and stand just here beside me
Ere I leave you all behind

Hold my hand so cold and frozen
Once it was so softa and white
And the ring that falls down from it
Clasped my fingers round so tight
Little ring they thought so worthless
That they let me keep it there
Only a plain and golden circle
And A braid of Douglas hair

Oh my Father Oh my mother
Will you not forget the past
When you hear some stranger tell you
How your stray lamb died at last
Out of all that used to love me
Who will weep when I am dead
Only you dear sister Marthat
Keep the last watch by my bed

Sister Martha are you near me
You are kinder than the rest
Lift my head and let me lean it
While I live upon your breast
I am Coming Douglas coming
Where you are I’ll soon be there
Free at last I come my dearest
Death gives back your little Claire

Sister Martha Sister Martha
Has the moon gone down so soon
Oh this cell is cold as winter
Tho I know tis only June
Sister in your white bed lying
Sleeping in the June moonlight
Through your dreams there comes no message
Claire dies all alone tonight

The Little Rosewood Casket

In a little rosewood casket
That is resting on a stand
There’s a package of love letters
Written by a cherished hand
Will you please go bring them sister
Read them o’er to me tonight
For Ive often tried but could not
Falling tears would blind my sight

In a little rosewood casket
That is resting on a stand
There’s a package of love letters
Written by my true loves hand

Come up closer to me sister
Let me lean upon your breast
For the tide of life is ebbing
And I fair would be at rest
Bring the letters he has written
He whos voice I’ve often heard
Read them over love distinctly
For I cherish every word

Tell him sister when you see him
That I never ceased to love
That I dying prayed to meet him
In a better world above
Tell him that I was supported
Ne’er a word of censure spoke
But his silence and his absense
This poor heart has well nigh broke

Tell him that I watched his coming
When the noontide sun was high
And at even when the angels set
Their starlights in the sky
But when at last I saw he came not
Tell him that I didn’t chide
But I spoke in love about him
And I blessed him when I died

When at last in deaths white garments
You have wrapped my form around
And you lay me down to slumber
In the quiet church yard ground
Place the letters and the picture
Close beside my pulseless heart
We for years have been together
And in death we will not part

I am ready now dear sister
Read the dear old letters o’er
I will listen as to music
Eve I reach that golden shore
And if ere you have all finished
I should calmly fall asleep
Fall asleep to wake in Heaven
Dearest sister do not weep

Don’t You Call Me Sweetheart

Don’t you call me sweetheart
I am mad at you
Don’t you dare to love me
As you used to do
I seen you kiss another
just the other day
Don’t you call me sweetheart
For Im mad at you

The Little Black Moustache

I met a charming boy one day
He love me dear as life
I thought the time would sure come
When I would be his wife
When I would be his wife
When I would be his wife
I thought the time would sure come
When I would be his wife

He called on me one rainy night
He stayed till almost three
He said he never loved a girl
As much as he loved me
As much as he loved me
As much as he loved me
He said he never loved a girl
As much as he loved me

He had money in the bank
And oh! he cut a dash
A diamond ring a watch and chain
A little black moustache
A little black moustache
A little black moustache
She had false teeth and false hair too
And forty five years old

And now they live next door to me
In a spacious mansion old
She married for that black moustache
He married for her gold
He married for her gold
He married for her gold
She married for that black moustache
He married for her gold

Now ladies please take my advice
Don’t ever be so rash
Just let these stylish chaps alone
With their little black moustache
Their little black moustache
Their little black moustache
Just let these stylish chaps alone
And their little black moustache

Silver Threads Among The Gold

Darling I am growing old
Silver threads among the gold
shine upon my brow today
Life is fading fast away
but my darling you will be will be
Always young and fair to me
Yes my darling you will be
Always young and fair to me

Darling I am growing old
Silver threads among the gold
Shine upon my brow today
Life is fading fast away

When your hair is silver white
And your cheeks no longer bright
With the roses of the may
I will kiss your kips and say
Oh my darling mine alone alone
You have never older grown
Yes my darling mine alone
You have never older grown

Love can never more grow old
Locks may lose their brown and gold
Cheeks may fade and hollow grow
But the hearts that love will know
Never never winters frost and chill
Summer warmth is in them still
Never winters frost and chill
Summer warmth is in them still

Love is always young and fair
What to us is silver hair
Faded cheeks or steps grown slow
To the hearts that heat below
Since I kissed you mine alone alone
You have never older grown
Since I kissed you mine alone
You have never older grown

The Butcher’s Boy

In London City where I did dwell
A butcher’s boy I loved so well
He courted me my life away
And with me then he would not stay

I went up stairs to go to bed
And nothing to my mother said
But mother said your acting queer
What is the trouble my daughter dear

Oh mother dear you need not know
The pain and sorrow grief and woe
Give me a chair and set me down
With pen and ink to write words down

Oh dig my grave both wide and deep
And place a marble at my feet
Upon my breast a snow white dove
To show the world that I died for love

And when her father first came home
Where is my girl where has she gone
He went upstairs the door he broke
And found her hanging to a rope

He took his knife and cut her down
And in her bosom these words he found
A silly girl am I you know
To hang myself for the butchers boy

Love Me Now

If you are ever going to Love me
Love me now that I may know
All the sweet and tender feelings
That from real affection flow
Love me now when I am living
Do not wait till I am gone
And then chisel it in marble
Warm love words on ice cold stone

If you wait till I am sleeping
Never to waken here again
There’ll be walls of earth between us
And I couldn’t hear you then
If you knew someone was thirsting
For a drink of water sweet
Would you be so slow to bring it
Would you tread with leggard feet

There are many all around us
Who are thirsting for our love
Would we grudge to them what Heaven
Kindly sends us from above
I won’t need your kind caresses
When the grass grows o’er my face
I won’t need your love nor kisses
In my las low resting place

Answer to Twenty-One Years

She wrote him this letter all covered with tears
And it is her answer to Twenty One Years

Six months have gone by love the good doctor said
For six weary months Ive been sick in bed
My poor heart it is in agony
The drug store has nothing can help what ails me

They tell me your bitter cause I didnt write
But my brain is all fevered and dark is the night
So you’ll understand why I didn’t write you
The Master in Heaven knew what Ive been through

The judge said stand up said dry up your tears
And sent you to Nashville for twenty One years
As we stood embracing they tore us apart
But they’ll never tear you from out of my heart

They shackled your arms love they shackled your feet
But they never can shackle a love that is sweet
The angels all know love that you’ll always be mine
And I’ll still be waiting though its a long time

I went to the Governor got down on my knees
And said Mr Governor won’t you listen please
I begged for a pardon through heart blinding tears
And all I remember was twenty one years

They sent you to prison behind those iron bars
When I get my strength back I’ll come where you are
I’ll stand by those high walls and shout through my tears
That I will want for you dear for twenty one years

So this is her letter all covered with tears
And it is her answer to twenty one years

Everybody Works But Father

Every morning at six 0-clock
I go to my work
Overcoat buttoned up round my neck
No job would I shirk
Winter wind blows around my head
Cutting up my face
I tell you what I’d like to have
My dear old fathers place

Everybody works but father
And he he sits around all day
Feet in front of the fire
Smoking his pipe of clay
Mother takes in washing
So does sister Ann
Everybody works at our house
But my old man

A man named work moved into town
and father heard the news
Work so neart my father started
shaking in his shoes
Mister Work walked by my house
He saw with great surprise
My father sitting in his chair
With blinders on his eyes

At beating carpets father said
He smiply was immense
We took the parlor carpet out
And hung it on the fence
My mother said now beat it dear
With all your might and main
And father beat it right back
To the fireside again

F.M.M

Till We Meet Again

There’s a song in the land of the lily
Each sweetheart has heard with a sigh
Over high garden walls
The sweet echo falls
When a loving boy whispers Good-bye

Smile awhile
You kiss me sad adieu
Till the clouds roll by
I’ll come to you
Then the skies will seem more blue
Down in lover’s lane my dearie
Wedding bells will ring so merrily
Every tear will be a memory
So wait and pray each night for me
Till we meet again

Though Good-bye means the birth of a tear drop
Hello means the birth of a smile
And the smile will erase
The tear-[hi]lighted trace
When we meet in the After awhile

F.M.