Love-Songs of Childhood | Page 3

The etext, when displayed, is clearly readable, and
does *not* contain characters other than those
intended by the author
of the work, although tilde (~), asterisk (*) and underline (_) characters
may be used to convey punctuation intended by the
author, and
additional characters may be used to
indicate hypertext links; OR

[*] The etext may be readily converted by the reader at
no expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent form by the
program that displays the etext (as is the case, for instance, with most
word processors); OR
[*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at
no additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the etext in its original
plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC or other equivalent proprietary form).
[2] Honor the etext refund and replacement provisions of this
"Small Print!" statement.
[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Project of 20% of the
net profits you derive calculated using the method you already use to
calculate your applicable taxes. If you don't derive profits, no royalty is
due. Royalties are payable to "Project Gutenberg
Association/Carnegie-Mellon University" within the 60 days following
each
date you prepare (or were legally required to prepare) your
annual (or equivalent periodic) tax return.
WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU
DON'T HAVE TO? The Project gratefully accepts contributions in
money, time, scanning machines, OCR software, public domain etexts,
royalty free copyright licenses, and every other sort of contribution you
can think of. Money should be paid to "Project Gutenberg Association /
Carnegie-Mellon University".
We are planning on making some changes in our donation structure in
2000, so you might want to email me, [email protected]
beforehand.
*END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN
ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END*
Love-Songs of Childhood

by Eugene Field
To Mrs. Belle Angler
Dearest Aunt:
Many years ago you used to rock me to sleep, cradling me in your arms
and singing me petty songs. Surely you have not forgotten that time,
and I recall it with tenderness. You were very
beautiful then. But you
are more beautiful now; for, in the years that have come and gone since
then, the joys and the sorrows of maternity have impressed their saintly
grace upon the dear face I used to kiss, and have made your gentle heart
gentler still.
Beloved lady, in memory of years to be recalled only in thought, and in
token of my gratitude and affection, I bring you these little love-songs,
and reverently I lay them at your feet.
Eugene Field
Chicago, November 1, 1894
THE LOVE-SONGS
By Eugene Field
THE ROCK-A-BY LADY
"BOOH"!
GARDEN AND
CRADLE
THE NIGHT WIND
KISSING TIME
JEST 'FORE
CHRISTMAS
BEARD AND BABY
THE DINKEY-BIRD

THE DRUM
THE DEAD BABE
THE HAPPY HOUSEHOLD

So, so, ROCK-A-BY SO!
THE SONG OF LUDDY-DUD
THE
DUEL
GOOD-CHILDREN STREET
THE DELECTABLE
BALLAD OF THE WALLER LOT
THE STORK
THE
BOTTLE TREE
GOOGLY-GOO
THE BENCH-LEGGED
FYCE
LITTLE MISS BRAG
THE HUMMING TOP
LADY
BUTTON-EYES
THE RIDE TO BUMPVILLE
THE BROOK

PICNIC-TIME
SHUFFLE-SHOON AND AMBER-LOCKS

THE SHUT-EYE TRAIN
LITTLE-OH-DEAR
THE

FLY-AWAY HORSE
SWING HIGH AND SWING LOW

WHEN I WAS A BOY
AT PLAY
A VALENTINE
LITTLE
ALL-ALONEY
SEEIN' THINGS
THE CUNNIN' LITTLE
THING
THE DOLL'S WOOING
INSCRIPTION FOR MY
LITTLE SON'S SILVER PLATE
FISHERMAN JIM'S KIDS

"FIDDLE-DEE-DEE"
OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY
THE ROCK-A-BY LADY
The Rock-a-By Lady from Hushaby street
Comes stealing; comes
creeping;
The poppies they hang from her head to her feet,
And
each hath a dream that is tiny and fleet -
She bringeth her poppies to
you, my sweet,
When she findeth you sleeping!
There is one little dream of a beautiful drum -
"Rub-a-dub!" it goeth;

There is one little dream of a big sugar-plum,
And lo! thick and
fast the other dreams come
Of popguns that bang, and tin tops that
hum,
And a trumpet that bloweth!
And dollies peep out of those wee little dreams
With laughter and
singing;
And boats go a-floating on silvery streams,
And the stars
peek-a-boo with their own misty gleams,
And up, up, and up, where
the Mother Moon beams,
The fairies go winging!
Would you dream all these dreams that are tiny and fleet?
They'll
come to you sleeping;
So shut the two eyes that are weary, my sweet,

For the Rock-a-By Lady from Hushaby street,
With poppies that
hang from her head to her feet,
Comes stealing; comes creeping.
"BOOH!"
On afternoons, when baby boy has had a splendid nap,
And sits, like
any monarch on his throne, in nurse's lap,
In some such wise my
handkerchief I hold before my face,
And cautiously and quietly I
move about the place;
Then, with a cry, I suddenly expose my face to

view,
And you should hear him laugh and crow when I say "Booh"!
Sometimes the rascal tries to make believe that he is scared, And really,
when I first began, he stared, and stared, and stared; And then his under
lip came out and farther out it came,
Till mamma and the nurse
agreed it was a "cruel shame" -
But now what does that same wee,
toddling, lisping baby do
But laugh and kick his little heels when I
say "Booh!"
He laughs and kicks his little heels in rapturous glee,