My Little Girl

Of course the little girl was Just as much of mine as hers, 3ut somehow when our wclötd Ufo got full oí pricks and burs Itold her thaïshe'd botter taie '.lie iittle one and go And stay a spell ut Newton C'rcek along with Uncle Joe, While I'd o off to some far lam!, and there I'd work and live Until I'd quite r.iacle up my nii;;d which one was to f orgive. I teil you pride's an awful thing when it gets into the heart; I euess it was a thousand times I thought I'd rise and start And go riglit af ter her and that little inaid of mine. I nerer heard a word from them. She never wrote a line. Then I had a spell of sickness and counted through my tears And found I hadn't i-een them both for more than flfteen years. Oh, my pretty, laughitig darling, she must be tall and fair! ■pow I"d righerout in ribbons and f eathers rich and ra rel I could almost feel my fingers apon her soft white brow; That little suuny head of hers would touch my shoulder now. Vet the strangest thing- in all my dreams she was a little cliild, With the ycllow curls of babyhood and big eyes, round and mild. As soon as I was better I starled on my way And reaclied the ton at noontime one hot and dusty day. And uear by, in the churcliyard, ] stopped to rest and wait. There was a little baby's grave close to the mold'rlng gate. I pushed etáide a straegling viue, kind o' curious - 110 more. GreatGod, my little girl lay there. dead thlrteen years beforc!