A Lady Gay- Moses (KY) 1931 Fuson
[I've retitled this since Fuson had it "The Cruel Mother." From H. Fuson; Ballads of the Kentucky Highlands, 1931. Fuson for all his talents (read his bio below from a stephengriffith blog below) was not a ballad scholar.
I assume no informant was named and the source (Prof. Moses) procured the ballad,
R. Matteson 2015]
H.H. Fuson was born on Little Clear Creek, in Bell County, Kentucky, August 21, 1876. He taught school, acted as Principal and Superintendent, in this eastern Kentucky community. He quit teaching in 1925, studied law and was admitted to practice in 1929. He died in 1964.
Besides his work in education and law, Fuson wrote books of local history as well as numerous books of poetry. His love of poetry, as well as his love of Kentucky history led him to collect what combined both of these interests: Kentucky ballads, published in 1931.
THE CRUEL MOTHER (OR THREE CHILDREN)
[A Lady Gay] -Copy furnished by Prof. Leon Denny Moses
There was a lady, a lady gay
And children she had three
She sent them away to a northern school,
To learn them grammaree.
They hadn't been gone but a little while,
Scarcely three months to a day,
Till cold death came hastening on,
And took those babes away.
It was getting near the Christmas time,
The night was long and cold
She looked out and saw her three little babes
Come running to their home.
The table being ready set,
And on it cake and wine.
"Come in, come in, my three little babes,
Come eat and drink of mine!"
"We want none of your bread, dear mother,
Neither none of your wine;
Yonder stands our Saviour dear,
To Him we must resign."
She fixed them a bed in the very back room,
And on it put white sheets,
And over the top put a golden spread
To make those babies sleep.
"Take it off, take it off," said the oldest one
"The chickens will soon crow;
Yonder stands our Saviour dear,
To him we must all go.
"Put marble stones at our heads, dear mother,
And cold clay at our feet,
For the tears you shed for us last night
Would wet our winding sheet."