14. The Wife of Usher's Well
14. THE WIFE OF USHER'S WELL (Child, No. 79)
Seven variants have been recovered in West Virginia, under the titles: "A Moravian Song," "Lady Gay," "The Three Little Babes," and "A Lady Gay" (cf. Cox, xlv, 160). They all belong to the same version, and of the three versions printed by Child, they resemble most A. The best of the West Virginia copies are practically identical with the American text printed in Child V, 294. The main lines of the story are these: A lady who had three fair children sent them away to the North country to school, where, in short time, they died. She prays to the King in heaven to send them down to her, and about Christmas time they appear. She spreads a bountiful table for them, but they refuse to eat because they have food divine. She makes up a downy bed for them, with clean sheets and a golden spread, but they command her to take it off because it is vanity and sin. At the break of day they depart.
The prayer of the mother to have the children come back is not found in Child A. Cf. Child C 1. West Virginia texts A 9 and D 8 indicate the children come back to forbid obstinate grief, as the dead often do. This motive is not found in the Child versions. An ancient law compelled ghosts to return to their graves at the crowing of the cock. This law is observed in the Child versions,
but in the West Virginia variants they act in obedience to the will of their Savior. A curious combination of the two compelling forces is found in West Virginia B 8.
For references to English and American versions see Journal, xxx, 305. Add Campbell and Sharp, No. 19; Pound, No. 7; Wyman MS., No. 16 (Kentucky); Minish MS. (North Carolina); Bulletin, No. 3, p. 5; No. 9, p. 6.
A. "A Moravian Song." Contributed by Miss Bettie R. Loy, Glebe, Hampshire County, February 17, 19 16. She writes: "I am sending you a song that my mother learned of her mother, who was of Dutch descent, but either she or her parents learned it of a Moravian preacher and she called it a Moravian song."
1 There was a lady, a fair lady,
And she had fair children three;
She sent them away to the North country,
To be taught their grammaree.
2 They 'd been gone but a short time,
About three weeks and a day,
When death, swift death, came hastening along,
And took those pretty ones away.
3 "There's a king in heaven, I know,
A king that wears a crown;
Pray send me down my children dear,
To-night or in the morning soon."
4 It was about the New Year's time,
The nights being long and cold,
When lo! she saw her three little ones,
Coming down to their mother's home.
5 She spread a table bounteously,
And on it spread bread and wine,
Saying, "Come eat and drink, children dear,
Come eat and drink of mine."
6 "We want none of your bread, mother,
And we want none of your wine;
For we are children of the King,
We have food and drink divine."
7 She spread a downy bed for them,
And on it spread clean sheets;
And on it she spread a golden spread,
That they might for the better sleep.
8 "Take it off, take it off," the oldest said,
" 'T is vanity and sin;
And woe, woe be to this wicked world,
Since pride has so entered in!
9 "Place marble at our heads, mother,
And cold clay at our feet;
For all those tears that have been shed
Shall but wet our winding sheet."
B. "Lady Gay." Communicated by Anna Copley, Shoals, Wayne County, January 28, 1916; written from the dictation of Mr. Burwell Luther.
1 Once there was a lady gay,
And children she had three;
She sent them away to the North country,
To learn their grammaree.
2 They hadn't been gone but a mighty little while,
It was six weeks and a day,
Till death came hastening all around,
And killed those babes all three.
3 The Christmas times were coming on,
And the nights were long and cold,
When those three babes came running along,
Down to their mother's hall.
4 She set a table before them,
All covered with bread and wine;
Saying, "Come my babes, my three little babes,
Come and eat and drink of mine."
5 "We can't eat of your bread, mamma,
Nor drink none of your wine;
For woe be unto this wicked world,
Since pride has first begun!"
6 She made a bed in the best room,
All covered with white sheets;
And the top one was a golden sheet,
To make those infants sleep.
7 "Take it off, take it off," said the oldest one,
"Take it off, take it off, I say;
For yonder stands our Saviour dear,
And to him we must return."
8 "Rise up, rise up," said the oldest one,
"The chickens are crowing for day;
For yonder stands our Saviour dear,
And him we must obey."
C. "Lady Gay." Contributed by John B. Adkins, Branchland, Lincoln County, February 19, 19 16; learned when a child from an old aunt, who learned it from her mother.
1 There lived in London a lady gay,
And children she had three;
She sent them away to a North country,
To learn their grammar ee.
2 They had not been there very long,
Scarcely three weeks and a day,
Until sweet death came hastening along,
And stole those babes away.
3 "There is a King in heaven," she cried,
"Who once did wear a crown;
I pray send home my three little babes,
To-night or in the morning soon."
4 She fixed them a bed in the backmost room,
And on it spread a clean white sheet,
And over the top a golden spread,
So that they might sweetly sleep.
5 "Take it off, take it off," said the first oldest one,
"Take it off, take it off, if you can;
For woe unto this wicked world,
When pride it first began!"
6 She set them a table both wide and long,
And on it put bread and wine;
Says, "Come eat, come eat, my three little babes,
Come eat and drink of mine."
7 "We cannot eat your bread, mother,
Nor can we drink your wine;
For yonder stands our Saviour dear,
And to him we must resign."
D. "Three Little Babes." Communicated by Mr. Decker Toney, Queens Ridge, Wayne County, January 20, 1916; learned from his mother, who learned it from her mother, Hannah Moore, and she, from her mother, Hannah Ross, who was born in Virginia. Printed by Cox, xlv, ii.
1 There was a lady, a lady gay,
And children she had three;
She sent them away to a North country,
To learn their grammar.
2 They had not been there very long,
But scarcely three weeks and a day,
When death, cruel death, came hastily along,
And taken those babes away.
3 She prayed God both day and night,
And she prayed God at noon,
That he might send those three little babes,
That night or in the morning soon.
4 She was sitting in her back door,
Gazing up the road;
There she spied her three little babes,
Coming down the road.
5 Her heart leaped forth with loving joy,
A kiss and a prayer from her lips;
She sprang forth [with] great joy,
Her three little babes to meet.
6 She sprang to fold them in her arms,
The tears flowing fastly away:
"Stand back, stand back, dear mother,
Our Saviour we must obey."
7 "What news, what news, my dear little babes,
What news have you brought to me?
What news have you brought, my dear little babes,
From the foreign country?"
8 "Green grass grows at our head, dear mother,
Cold clay lays at our feet;
Every tear that rolls down your cheek,
Wets our winding sheet."
9 She made a bed, a white plush bed,
Spreaded over it a golden spread;
Around the spread a golden fringe,
So her three little babes might sleep.
10 "The table is sitting in the dining room,
Spreaded over with bread and wine;
Come eat, come drink, my three little babes,
Come eat, come drink of mine."
11 "We do not want your bread, dear mother,
Neither do we want your wine;
For yonder stands my Saviour dear,
To him we must resign.
12 "Farewell, farewell, dear mother,
He is calling us to our fold;
Yonder stands our Saviour;
To him we must go."
E. No local title. Communicated by Miss Mary M. Atkeson, Morgantown, Monongalia County, December 20, 191 5; obtained from Mr. Joseph H. Spicer, Spring Gap, Hampshire County; learned from his mother, who learned it from her grandmother, who came from Ireland. Printed by Cox, xliv, 388.
1 Once there was an old woman,
And very wealthy was she;
She had three great big boys,
And she sent them over the sea.
2 They had only been gone a week from her,
A week, not more than three,
When word came to that old woman,
That her sons she 'd never see.
F. "A Lady Gay." Communicated by Mr. C. D. Miller, Sandyville, Jackson County, February 24, 1916; dictated by his mother, who learned it in the time of the Civil War from Sindusky Kollings. A confused and fragmentary text in eight stanzas.
G. No local title. Communicated by Miss Mary M. Atkeson, Morgantown, Monongalia County, December 20, 1915; obtained from Mr. A. G. Springer, Farmington, Marion County; dictated by his mother, who learned it from her mother, a lady of Welsh and English ancestry, who came from Pennsylvania. The first two stanzas of a ballad, practically the same as A.