Love-Songs of Childhood | Page 7

of music at play;?Where the sunshine of love illumines each face?And warms every heart in that old-fashioned place.
For dear little children go romping about?With dollies and tin tops and drums,?And, my! how they frolic and scamper and shout?Till bedtime too speedily comes!?Oh, days they are golden and days they are fleet?With little folk living in Good-Children street.
See, here comes an army with guns painted red,?And swords, caps, and plumes of all sorts;?The captain rides gaily and proudly ahead?On a stick-horse that prances and snorts!?Oh, legions of soldiers you're certain to meet -?Nice make-believe soldiers - in Good-Children street.
And yonder Odette wheels her dolly about -?Poor dolly! I'm sure she is ill,?For one of her blue china eyes has dropped out?And her voice is asthmatic'ly shrill.?Then, too, I observe she is minus her feet,?Which causes much sorrow in Good-Children street.
'T is so the dear children go romping about?With dollies and banners and drums,?And I venture to say they are sadly put out?When an end to their jubilee comes:?Oh, days they are golden and days they are fleet?With little folk living in Good-Children street!
But when falleth night over river and town,?Those little folk vanish from sight,?And an angel all white from the sky cometh down?And guardeth the babes through the night,?And singeth her lullabies tender and sweet?To the dear little people in Good-Children Street.
Though elsewhere the world be o'erburdened with care,?Though poverty fall to my lot,?Though toil and vexation be always my share,?What care I - they trouble me not!?This thought maketh life ever joyous and Sweet:?There's a dear little home in Good-Children street.
THE DELECTABLE BALLAD OF THE WALLER LOT
Up yonder in Buena Park?There is a famous spot,?In legend and in history?Yclept the Waller Lot.
There children play in daytime?And lovers stroll by dark,?For 't is the goodliest trysting-place?In all Buena Park.
Once on a time that beauteous maid,?Sweet little Sissy Knott,?Took out her pretty doll to walk?Within the Waller Lot.
While thus she fared, from Ravenswood?Came Injuns o'er the plain,?And seized upon that beauteous maid?And rent her doll in twain.
Oh, 't was a piteous thing to hear?Her lamentations wild;?She tore her golden curls and cried:?"My child! My child! My child!"
Alas, what cared those Injun chiefs?How bitterly wailed she??They never had been mothers,?And they could not hope to be!
"Have done with tears," they rudely quoth,?And then they bound her hands;?For they proposed to take her off?To distant border lands.
But, joy! from Mr. Eddy's barn?Doth Willie Clow behold?The sight that makes his hair rise up?And all his blood run cold.
He put his fingers in his mouth?And whistled long and clear,?And presently a goodly horde?Of cow-boys did appear.
Cried Willie Clow: "My comrades bold,?Haste to the Waller Lot,?And rescue from that Injun band?Our charming Sissy Knott!"
"Spare neither Injun buck nor squaw,?But smite them hide and hair!?Spare neither sex nor age nor size,?And no condition spare!"
Then sped that cow-boy band away,?Full of revengeful wrath,?And Kendall Evans rode ahead?Upon a hickory lath.
And next came gallant Dady Field?And Willie's brother Kent,?The Eddy boys and Robbie James,?On murderous purpose bent.
For they were much beholden to?That maid - in sooth, the lot?Were very, very much in love?With charming Sissy Knott.
What wonder? She was beauty's queen,?And good beyond compare;?Moreover, it was known she was?Her wealthy father's heir!
Now when the Injuns saw that band?They trembled with affright,?And yet they thought the cheapest thing?To do was stay and fight.
So sturdily they stood their ground,?Nor would their prisoner yield,?Despite the wrath of Willie Clow?And gallant Dady Field.
Oh, never fiercer battle raged?Upon the Waller Lot,?And never blood more freely flowed?Than flowed for Sissy Knott!
An Injun chief of monstrous size?Got Kendall Evans down,?And Robbie James was soon o'erthrown?By one of great renown.
And Dady Field was sorely done,?And Willie Clow was hurt,?And all that gallant cow-boy band?Lay wallowing in the dirt.
But still they strove with might and main?Till all the Waller Lot?Was strewn with hair and gouts of gore -?All, all for Sissy Knott!
Then cried the maiden in despair:?"Alas, I sadly fear?The battle and my hopes are lost,?Unless some help appear!"
Lo, as she spoke, she saw afar?The rescuer looming up -?The pride of all Buena Park,?Clow's famous yellow pup!
"Now, sick'em, Don," the maiden cried,?"Now, sick'em, Don!" cried she;?Obedient Don at once complied -?As ordered, so did he.
He sicked'em all so passing well?That, overcome by fright,?The Indian horde gave up the fray?And safety sought in flight.
They ran and ran and ran and ran?O'er valley, plain, and hill;?And if they are not walking now,?Why, then, they're running still.
The cow-boys rose up from the dust?With faces black and blue;?"Remember, beauteous maid," said they,?"We've bled and died for you!"
"And though we suffer grievously,?We gladly hail the lot?That brings us toils and pains and wounds?For charming Sissy Knott!"
But Sissy Knott still wailed and wept,?And still her fate reviled;?For who could patch her dolly up -?Who, who could mend her child?
Then out her doting mother came,?And