| |
The father
There’s something strange about the child tonight. | |
| I scolded her because she had forgotten | |
| To fill the stove. She never said a word, | |
| But stood and smiled, as if she might be dreaming. | |
| |
The mother
This morning I went out to buy the dinner. | 5 |
| I didn’t like to leave her, so I took her. | |
| Well, she was tired from the time we started. | |
| I had to yank her by the arm and pull her. | |
| We went to see the window-show at Field’s. | |
| Oh my!—the dolls! From the first, one held her eye— | 10 |
| A girl, a life-size two-year-old, with a dress | |
| Hand-work all over, and silk socks and slippers. | |
| It couldn’t have cost less than fifty dollars. | |
| She looked, and couldn’t seem to turn away. | |
| At last she said: “I want to be its mother.” | 15 |
| Then it came to me—what the doctor told us— | |
| Her heart was weak, and we must humor her. | |
| I said: “You’ll get it for a Christmas present.” | |
| Anyhow I’ve had peaceful hours since then. | |
| She hasn’t fussed, nor had a fainting-spell. | 20 |
| That shows she can be all right, if she’s a mind to. | |
| But what on earth’ll we say to her to-morrow? | |
| |
The father
We’ll say how Santa Claus got stuck in the snow. | |
| |
The mother
Now hark, I hear her humming in her bed! | |
| She always hums, and never sings out words. | 25 |
| |
The song they may not hear
I shall draw her very close to me, | |
| With my love. | |
| Oh, could anything more beautiful be | |
| Dreamed of? | |
| She is coming. I must wait, | 30 |
| I must wait. | |
| |
The mother
It’s all because I let her go to school. | |
| I never was a one for education | |
| For children of her age. It gives ’em notions, | |
| And sets ’em looking up too high at things. | 35 |
| |
The song they may not hear
My sweet child is like a flower’s light. | |
| So is She, | |
| Wonderful Our Lady in the night | |
| Near me. | |
| She will help me sleep and wait, | 40 |
| Sleep and wait. | |
| |
The father
I’ll just go out and look along the street— | |
| The men have stood all day there peddling toys. | |
| I’ll just go out and buy a top for her. | |
| |
The mother
Let her be satisfied with goose for dinner, | 45 |
| And a bag of candy from the school-house tree. | |
| |
The song they may not hear
I shall hold my daughter’s finger-tips— | |
| How they shine! | |
| I shall almost dare to touch her lips | |
| With mine. | 50 |
| I must try to sleep and wait, | |
| Sleep and wait. | |
| |
The mother
How can we tell her?—that’s what’s bothering me. | |
| How can we tell her, tell her?—answer that! | |
| Oh, somehow I’m afraid to think of it— | 55 |
| The dark in her eyes I know she’ll have to-morrow, | |
| When she comes looking, and it isn’t here! | |
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