STANZAS FOR MUSIC

I loved a little maiden

In the golden years gone by;

She lived in a mill, as they all do

( There is doubtless a reason why ).

But she faded in the autumn

When the leaves began to fade,

And the night before she faded,

These words to me she said:

‘ Do not forget me, Henry,

Be noble and brave and true;

But I must not bide, for the world is wide,

And the sky above is blue.’

So I said farewell to my darling,

And sailed away and came back;

And the good ship Jane was in port again,

And I found that they all loved Jack.

But Polly and I were sweethearts,

As all the neighbours know,

Before I met with the mill-girl

Twenty years ago.

So I thought I would go and see her,

But alas, she had faded too!

She could not bide, for the world was wide,

And the sky above was blue.

And now I can only remember

The maid — the maid of the mill,

And Polly, and one or two others

In the churchyard over the hill.

And I sadly ask the question,

As I weep in the yew-tree's shade

With my elbow on one of their tombstones,

‘ Ah, why did they all of them fade?’

And the answer I half expected

Comes from the solemn yew,

‘ They could none of them bide, for the world was wide,

And the sky above was blue.’