[P. 238, III, 513. Communicated, 1896, by Miss Emina M.
Backus, of North Carolina, who notes that it has long been sung
by the "poor whites" in the mountains of Polk County in that
State. It has the mother's prayer for the return of her children,
as in C, III, 513, but is in other respects much nearer to
A. In the last stanza we should doubtless read "They wet
our winding sheet," or the like. In 43 the Manuscript
has louely or lonely, perhaps meant for
lovely.
| 1 |
There was a lady fair and gay,
And children she had three:
She sent them away to some northern land,
For to learn their grammeree. |
| 2 |
They hadn't been gone but a very short time,
About three months to a day,
When sickness came to that land
And swept those babes away. |
| 3 |
There is a king in the heavens above
That wears a golden crown:
She prayed that he would send her babies home
To-night or in the morning soon. |
| 4 |
It was about one Christmas time,
When the nights was long and cool,
She dreamed of her three little lonely babes
Come running in their mother's room. |
| 5 |
The table was fixed and the cloth was spread,
And on it put bread and wine:
'Come sit you down, my three little babes,
And eat and drink of mine.' |
| 6 |
'We will neither eat your bread, dear mother,
Nor we'll neither drink your wine;
For to our Saviour we must return
To-night or in the morning soon.' |
| 7 |
The bed was fixed in the back room;
On it was some clean white sheet,
And on the top was a golden cloth,
To make those little babies sleep. |
| 8 |
'Wake up! wake up!' says the oldest one,
'Wake up! it's almost day.
And to our Saviour we must return
To-night or in the morning soon.' |
| 9 |
'Green grass grows at our head, dear mother,
Green moss grows at our feet;
The tears that you shed for us three babes
Won't wet our winding sheet.'] |
