Various - Beadle's Dime Song Book No. 1

I’m sitting to-day in the old play-ground,
Where you and I have sat so oft together,
I’m thinking of the joys when you and I were boys
In those merry days now gone, John, forever.

O’er the threshold, John, we pass’d forlorn,
To wander we knew not where,
The heaven we thought so bright was o’ershadow’d by night,
And the pathway lay dark and drear.
But I am sitting to-day in the old play-ground,
Where you and I have sat so oft together,
And these memories wild have made me a child,
As in the merry days now gone, John, forever.

Oh, who has not seen Kitty Clyde?
She lives at the foot of the hill,
In a sly little nook by the babbling brook,
That carries her father’s old mill.
Oh, who does not love Kitty Clyde?
That sunny eyed, rosy cheek’d lass,
With a sweet dimpled chin that looks roguish as sin,
With always a smile as you pass.

Sweet Kitty, dear Kitty, my own sweet Kitty Clyde,
In a sly little nook by the babbling brook,
Lives my own sweet Kitty Clyde.

With a basket to put in her fish,
Every morn with a line and a hook,
This sweet little lass, through the tall heavy grass,
Steals along by the clear running brook.
She throws her line into the stream,
And trips it along the brook side,
Oh, how I do wish that I was a fish.
To be caught by sweet Kitty Clyde.

How I wish that I was a Bee,
I’d not gather honey from flowers,
But would steal a dear sip from Kitty’s sweet lip,
And make my own hive in her bowers.
Or, if I was some little bird,
I would not build nests in the air,
But keep close by the side of sweet Kitty Clyde,
And sleep in her soft silken hair,

Oh! Willie, is it you, dear, safe, safe at home?
They did not tell me true, dear, they said you would not come,
I heard you at the gate, and it made my heart rejoice,
For I knew that welcome footstep, and that dear familiar voice,
Making music on my ear in the lonely midnight gloom,
Oh! Willie, we have miss’d you; welcome, welcome home.

We’ve long’d to see you nightly, but this night of all;
The fire was blazing brightly, and lights were in the hall,
The little ones were up ’till ’twas ten o’clock and past,
Then their eyes began to twinkle and they have gone to sleep at last;
But they listen’d for your voice till they thought you’d never come,
Oh! Willie, we have miss’d you; welcome, welcome home.

The days were sad without you, the nights long and drear,
My dreams have been about you, oh, welcome, Willie dear,
Last night I wept and watch’d, by the moonlight’s cheerless ray,
Till I thought I heard your footsteps, then I wiped my tears away,
But my heart grew sad again, when I found you had not come;
Oh! Willie, we have missed you; welcome, welcome home.

Yes, Mary, I have come, love, across the dark, blue sea,
To our peaceful, quiet home, love, our little ones and thee;
I’ve watch’d and waited nightly for the welcome hour to come,
When happily and brightly all the dear delights of home
Should greet my listening ear, love, upon my native shore;
Then wipe away thy tears, Mary, for thy Willie’ll roam no more.

Thy Willie’ll roam no more, thy Willie’ll roam no more,
Then wipe away thy tears, Mary, for thy Willie’ll roam no more.

How often since I left you, love, in solitude and tears,
Have I bless’d that love which clung to me through many changing years;
And while I paced the silent deck, forgotten and alone,
Has my heart recall’d thy love-lit smile, thy sweet and gentle tone.
Thy image, love, has e’er been shrined within this fond heart’s core;
But wipe away thy tears, Mary, for thy Willie’ll roam no more.

Dear Mary, when in life’s sweet morn, in all thy youthful pride,
I bore thee, virgin, bathed in tears, from thy fond mother’s side,
And promised at the altar to love through life as now,
Say, Mary, when life’s sorrows came, did I forget that vow?
Your heart will own I left you, love, our fortunes to restore;
Then wipe away thy tears, Mary, for thy Willie’ll roam no more.

The other night while I was sparking
Sweet Turlina Spray,
The more we whisper’d our love talking,
The more we had to say;
The old folks and the little folks
We thought were fast in bed, —
We heard a footstep on the stairs,
And what d’ye think she said?

“Oh! kiss me quick and go my honey,
Kiss me quick and go!
To cheat surprise and prying eyes,
Why kiss me quick and go!”

Soon after that I gave my love
A moonlight promenade,
At last we fetch’d up to the door
Just where the old folks stay’d;
The clock struck twelve, her heart struck two (too).
And peeping over head
We saw a night-cap raise the blind,
And what d’ye think she said?

One Sunday night we sat together,
Sighing side by side,
Just like two wilted leaves of cabbage
In the sunshine fried;
My heart with love was nigh to split
To ask her for to wed,
Said I: “Shall I go for the priest,”
And what d’ye think she said?

Maxwelton Braes are bonnie,
Where early fa’s the dew,
And it’s there that Annie Laurie
Gie’d me her promise true;
Gie’d me her promise true,
Which ne’er forget will be;
And for bonnie Annie Laurie
I’d lay me doune and dee.

Her brow is like the snaw-drift —
Her throat is like the swan,
Her face it is the fairest
That e’er the sun shone on —
That e’er the sun shone on —
And dark blue is her e’e;
And for bonnie Annie Laurie
I’d lay me doune and dee.

Like dew on the gowan lying,
Is the fa’ o’ her fairy feet,
And like the winds in summer sighing,
Her voice is low and sweet,
Her voice is low and sweet,
And she’s a’ the world to me;
And for bonnie Annie Laurie
I’d lay me doune and dee.

Down on de Mississippi floating,
Long time I trabble on de way
All night de cotton-wood a toting,
Sing for my true lub all de day.

Nelly was a lady,
Last night she died;
Toll de bell for lubly Nell,
My dark Virginny bride.