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Down Old New England Way

From Wikisource
Down Old New England Way (1899)
by Harry S. Miller

A six-stanza qautrain (verses aa·b·cc·b, chorus aa·a·bb·a) written as lyrics with music by Emily Smith.

142774Down Old New England Way1899Harry S. Miller


There's a couple old and gray, who are longing day by day,
And waiting for their boy's return again,
Little does he know the farm that to him had many a charm,
Must soon be sold to pay another's claim.

There's a mother, oft to cheer, says, "If Ned were only here,
Things would be quite different, John, today.
Yet there's something tells me plain he is coming back again,
He's coming back down old New England way."

Down old New England way, 'mid sun-shines brightest ray,
There stands the little home so dear today,
And a mother's prayer each night is to guide her boy a-right,
And turn his steps down old New England way.

'Twas a cold December day, when an auctioneer did say,
"What am I bid for home and farm complete?"
Ah, the cruel words he said filled the old folks' souls with dread,
And made the tears course down each dear old cheek.

Then a stranger took the floor, said "I'll give a thousand more,"
A thousand more than any here today.
"'Tis our boy," the mother cried, "Yes, 'tis I," the son replied,
I'll save the home down old New England way."

Down old New England way, 'mid sun-shines brightest ray,
There stands the little home so dear today,
And a mother's prayer each night is to guide her boy a-right,
And turn his steps down old New England way.