Child Songs of Cheer | Page 8

time for sweethearts, I say!
Dearest, God bless thee,
Fold and caress thee,
Unto thy cradle may good fairies fly!
Fortune be fair for thee,
This is my prayer for thee,
Lullaby, little one, hush-a-by-bye!
So for a love now
Token thereof now,
Sweet, see this tiny May-basket I bring;
Posies to play with,
Pinks to be gay with,
Dear little baby of sunshine and spring!
THE LITTLE NEST
A little picture haunts me;?It comes and comes again;?It is a tiny bird's-nest,?All ragged from the rain.
It clings within a birch-tree?Upon the moorland's edge,?Between the barren branches,?Above the swaying sedge.
The sky is gray behind it,?And when the north winds blow,?The birch-tree bends and shivers,?And tosses to and fro.
I wonder, does it haunt them,?The birds that flew away??And will they come to seek it,?Some sunny summer day?
I wonder, does some redbreast?Upon an orange-bough,?Still picture it as plainly?As I can see it now?
Ah me! I would forget it,?Yet still, with sense of pain,?I see this little bird's-nest?Within the driving rain.
CHRISTMAS CANDLES
When the Christ-child comes again?Softly down the street to-night,?Twinkling through the window pane?Let our candles shed their light.
Though the clouds are dark above?And the golden stars are dim,?We can tell Him of our love?If we set a light for Him.
Oh, the blessed Christ-child dear,?In His robe of shining white,?Let our candles give Him cheer?As He passes by to-night!
A SONG OF THE CHRISTMAS-TREE
[Illustration: CHRISTMAS CANDLES]
We can tell Him of our love?If we set a light for Him.
Hurrah! Hurrah! for the Christmas-tree?With its glory and glitter and mystery!?Its twinkling candles that bud and bloom?Like strange bright flowers in the darkened room,?Its glistening gold and silver balls,?Its candy canes and its blue-eyed dolls,?The sugary fruits it bears,--for oh,?Where else do such wonderful sweetmeats grow?--?Its tasseled horns and its pop-corn strings?And all its myriad marvelous things!
O-ho! and ah-ha!
And a hip hurrah!
For our dear and beautiful tree, because?It grew in the gardens of Santa Claus
And he brought it here in his reindeer sleigh?From ever and ever so far away!?_So, children, come, let us make a ring?And all clasp hands as we dance and sing?To the blessed tree and the blessed night?When the Christ-child walks in the candles' light!_
Hurrah! Hurrah! for the Christmas-tree?That Santa Claus brought to you and me!?He cut it down with a silver axe--?There's a tree in each of his million packs!--?And carried it safely over the snow?And down our chimney and here, you know;?Its golden cobwebs that glint and gleam?He took from a lovely Christmas dream?And tangled them over it till, behold,?It shines like the fabled Fleece of Gold!
Oh, Santa Claus, here's
A thrice three cheers
For garlands green and berries of red,?And mistletoe clustering overhead,?For the joy of our Christmas festival!?But our beautiful tree, it is best of all!?_And circling still in a merry ring?We'll still clasp hands as we dance and sing?To the blessed tree and the blessed night?When the Christ-child walks in the candles' light!_
Hurrah! Hurrah! for the Christmas-tree!?And look, O look to its tip and see?The feathery slim fir leaves and where,?In the topmost boughs, is the image fair?Of the Christ-child nestling amid the green?And the little brown cones that peep between!
And high above Him glittering bright?A gold star sparkles with golden light,?And we children think, as we gaze on them,?Of the wonderful Star of Bethlehem,
Of the lovely Star
And the Kings who far,
Oh, far, came seeking a Babe and brought?Their love and worship to Him they sought,?And made Him gifts, as the gifts we make?With loving hearts for that Baby's sake.?_Oh, come, come all, and join the ring!?Let all clasp hands as we dance and