| |
| SAID the child of the bright yellow hair | |
| To the child of the coal black curls; | |
| “I do not think it is fair | |
| For we little Christian girls | |
| To play with the girls like you; | 5 |
| For our Sunday-school teacher—See? | |
| Says your father is only a Jew; | |
| |
| An’ the Jews nailed Christ on the tree.” | |
| The great black eyes filled with tears | |
| As the child with the dark, dark hair | 10 |
| Said: “But that was hundreds of years | |
| Ago; an” I don’t think it is fair | |
| To blame us girls with the pain | |
| That was given to Jesus by men | |
| That we didn’t know. And it’s vain— | 15 |
| So my mamma says, to preten’ | |
| That any one church is the best. | |
| We’re as nicely behaved as you, | |
| An’ our dollies as prettily dressed; | |
| An’ my mamma always says true.” | 20 |
| |
| So they quarreled and parted with eyes | |
| Flashing anger and tears. In the heart | |
| Of the yellow-haired child would rise | |
| Unbidden—a pain like a dart. | |
| |
| That night she knelt by her bed— | 25 |
| As she did every night—to pray, | |
| She threw back her wee bright head | |
| And her eyes looked up and away— | |
| Oh far, far away at the sky | |
| Through the unshaded window glass; | 30 |
| And she said: “Dear Lord, if I die | |
| In my sleep may my spirit pass | |
| To you like an angel; and wear | |
| A little gold crown of my own; | |
| And—my dear doll—I want her there, | 35 |
| ’Cause I hate to be there all alone.” | |
| |
| Then she paused a little and said: | |
| “Lord—if Elsie was only like me, | |
| A Christian, too, when she’s dead | |
| I think I would like to see | 40 |
| Her also; but she cannot go | |
| ’Cause her fore-fathers—teacher said— | |
| Were nothing but Jews and so | |
| That settles it.” Then on the bed | |
| The bright little one sank to sleep, | 45 |
| But a wee small voice in her breast | |
| Seemed ever to rouse her and keep | |
| Her feverish pulses from rest. | |
| |
| She dreamed that out of the skies | |
| A great, white cross rose to view; | 50 |
| And Jesus looked at her with eyes | |
| Like Elsie’s—and said: “I’m a Jew.” | |
| |
