| |
| A SIMPLE Child, | |
| That lightly draws its breath, | |
| And feels its life in every limb, | |
| What should it know of death? | |
| |
| I met a little cottage Girl: | 5 |
| She was eight years old, she said; | |
| Her hair was thick with many a curl | |
| That clustered round her head. | |
| |
| She had a rustic, woodland air, | |
| And she was wildly clad: | 10 |
| Her eyes were fair, and very fair; | |
| —Her beauty made me glad. | |
| |
| ‘Sisters and brothers, little Maid, | |
| How many may you be?’ | |
| ‘How many? Seven in all,’ she said, | 15 |
| And wondering looked at me. | |
| |
| ‘And where are they? I pray you tell.’ | |
| She answered, ‘Seven are we; | |
| And two of us at Conway dwell, | |
| And two are gone to sea. | 20 |
| |
| ‘Two of us in the church-yard lie, | |
| My sister and my brother; | |
| And, in the church-yard cottage, I | |
| Dwell near them with my mother.’ | |
| |
| ‘You say that two at Conway dwell, | 25 |
| And two are gone to sea, | |
| Yet ye are seven!—I pray you tell, | |
| Sweet Maid, how this may be.’ | |
| |
| Then did the little Maid reply, | |
| ‘Seven boys and girls are we; | 30 |
| Two of us in the church-yard lie, | |
| Beneath the church-yard tree.’ | |
| |
| ‘You run above, my little Maid, | |
| Your limbs they are alive; | |
| If two are in the church-yard laid, | 35 |
| Then ye are only five.’ | |
| |
| ‘Their graves are green, they may be seen,’ | |
| The little Maid replied, | |
| ‘Twelve steps or more from my mother’s door, | |
| And they are side by side. | 40 |
| |
| ‘My stockings there I often knit, | |
| My kerchief there I hem; | |
| And there upon the ground I sit, | |
| And sing a song to them. | |
| |
| ‘And often after sun-set, Sir, | 45 |
| When it is light and fair, | |
| I take my little porringer, | |
| And eat my supper there. | |
| |
| ‘The first that died was sister Jane; | |
| In bed she moaning lay, | 50 |
| Till God released her of her pain; | |
| And then she went away. | |
| |
| ‘So in the church-yard she was laid; | |
| And, when the grass was dry, | |
| Together round her grave we played, | 55 |
| My brother John and I | |
| |
| ‘And when the ground was white with snow, | |
| And I could run and slide, | |
| My brother John was forced to go, | |
| And he lies by her side.’ | 60 |
| |
| ‘How many are you, then,’ said I, | |
| ‘If they two are in heaven?’ | |
| Quick was the little Maid’s reply, | |
| ‘O Master! we are seven.’ | |
| |
| ‘But they are dead; those two are dead! | 65 |
| Their spirits are in heaven!’ | |
| ’Twas throwing words away; for still | |
| The little Maid would have her will, | |
| And said, ‘Nay, we are seven!’ | |
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