| Jessie B. Rittenhouse, ed. (1869–1948). The Little Book of Modern Verse. 1917. |
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| 108. De Massa ob de Sheepfol’ |
| | | By Sarah Pratt McLean Greene |
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| DE MASSA ob de sheepfol’ | |
| Dat guard de sheepfol’ bin, | |
| Look out in de gloomerin’ meadows | |
| Whar de long night rain begin— | |
| So he call to de hirelin’ shephe’d: | 5 |
| “Is my sheep—is dey all come in?” | |
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| Oh den, says de hirelin’ shephe’d, | |
| “Dey’s some, dey’s black and thin, | |
| And some, dey’s po’ ol’ wedda’s— | |
| But de res’, dey’s all brung in. | 10 |
| But de res’, dey’s all brung in.” | |
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| Den de massa ob de sheepfol’ | |
| Dat guard de sheepfol’ bin, | |
| Goes down in de gloomerin’ meadows | |
| Whar de long night rain begin— | 15 |
| So he le’ down de ba’s ob de sheepfol’, | |
| Callin’ sof’: “Come in! Come in!” | |
| Callin’ sof’: “Come in! Come in!” | |
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| Den up t’ro de gloomerin’ meadows, | |
| T’ro de col’ night rain an’ win’, | 20 |
| An’ up t’ro de gloomerin’ rain-paf | |
| Whar de sleet fa’ piercin’ thin— | |
| De po’ los’ sheep ob de sheepfol’ | |
| Dey all comes gadderin’ in. | |
| De po’ los’ sheep ob de sheepfol’, | 25 |
| Dey all comes gadderin’ in! | |
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