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TWO LITTLE CHILDREN Sung by: Mrs. Joan Arnold Hays Recorded in Wilburn, AR 9/6/62 Click here to listen to the original recording Set by an old church door. The little girl's feet was as brown as the curl That fell on the dress that she wore. The boy's shoes were faded, no hat on his head, A tear shone in each little eye. "Why don't you go home to your Mommy?" I said, And this was the maiden's reply: "Mommy's in heaven; they took her away, Left me and Jimmy alone. We came here to sleep at the close of the day, For we have no Mommy or home. We can't earn our bread, we're too little," she said, "Jim five, and I only seven. We have no one to love us, for Papa is dead, And our darling Mama's in heaven. "Papa got lost on the sea long ago; We waited all night on the shore. He was a lifesaving captain, you know, But he never came any more. Then Mama got sick; they took her away. She said that her home was in . . . She said they would come for two darlings some day. "Perhaps they are coming tonight. Perhaps there's not room in heaven," she said, "For two little darlings to keep." She put her hand upon Jim's little head. She kissed him and both fell asleep. The sexton came early to ring the church bell. They found them beneath the snow white. The angels made room for two darlings to sleep In heaven with Mama that night. (Dr. Wolf: "Where'd you learn that one?" Mrs. Hays: "One of my neighbor women. One of my sister's sister-in-laws, Louella Nicholson." Dr. Wolf: "She's right here?" Mrs. Hays: "At Banner." Dr. Wolf: "Oh, at Banner. I see." Mrs. Hays: "That was at Pangburn sixty years ago, because . . .") Also found in Brown, Vol. II, #150. |
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All Songs Recorded by John Quincy Wolf, Jr., unless otherwise noted The John Quincy Wolf Folklore Collection Lyon College, Batesville, Arkansas Back to the Song Index Back to the Wolf Collection Homepage ©Copyright 2002 Lyon College |