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Blind Child, The/Blind Child's Prayer/Blind Girl
Traditional, Public Domain Gospel; Words and Melody copyright Ida Mercer 1894
ARTIST: Collected from Mrs. H. A. Mullenix, Farmington, Arkansas, by Vance Randolph in 1941
CATEGORY: Traditional And Shape-Note Gospel;
DATE: 1800s; copyright 1896
RECORDING INFO: The Blind Child [Me II-I27]
Albert E Brumley's Songs of the Pioneers #2, Brumley, Fol (1973), 16 (Blind Girl's Prayer)
Collins, Mrs. Leander. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume IV, Religous Songs and Others, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p191/#724A [1927/05/20]
Edwards, Pearl. Cox, John Harrington (ed.) / Folk-Songs Mainly from West Virginia, WPA, Bk (1939), 29 [1927ca] (Blind Child's Prayer)
Hatcher, Charlie. Wolfe, Charles K.(ed.) / Folk Songs of Middle Tennessee. George Boswell, Univ. Tennesse, Sof (1997), p108/# 66 [1954/03/07]
Kincaid, Bradley. Mountain Ballads and Old Time Songs, Old Homestead OHCS 107, LP (197?), trk# B.02 [1929ca?]
Kincaid, Bradley. Mountain Ballads and Old Time Solos. Album Number Six, Bluebonnet BL 123, LP (1963), trk# A.05 [1963/07ca]
Morgan, Maggie. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume IV, Religous Songs and Others, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p193/#724C [1942/01/30]
Mullenix, Mrs. H. A.. Randolph, Vance / Ozark Folksongs. Volume IV, Religous Songs and Others, Univ. of Missouri, Bk (1980/1946), p192/#724B [1941/12/20]
Riddle, Almeda. Abrahams, Roger D.(ed.) / A Singer and Her Songs. Almeda Riddle's Book o, Louisiana State U. Press, Bk (1970), p 53 [1964-67] (Blind Child's Prayer)
Sizemore, Asher; and Little Jimmy. Sizemore, Asher; and Little Jimmy / Favorite Mountain Ballads & Old T..., Sizemore, fol (1932), p28 (Blind Girl)
Smith, Mrs. J. H.. Morris, Alton C. / Folksongs of Florida, Univ. Florida, Bk (1950), p117/# 57 [1934-39] (Blind Girl)
Storm, Arnold Keith. Take the News to Mother, Folk Legacy FSA 018, LP (1964), trk# 10
Blind Child's Prayer [Me II-I27]
Us - Blind Child
OTHER NAMES: "Blind Girl," "Blind Child Prayer" "Blind Child"
SOURCES: Public Domain Music; Folk Index
NOTES: "Blind Child" also known as "Blind Girl" and "Blind Child Prayer" is traditional song from Mrs. H. A. Mullenix, Farmington, Arkansas, which was collected by Vance Randolph in 1941. It was first recorded by Harvey Irwin in 1925 and was a favorite of Bradley Kincaid (1929) who titled it "The Blind Girl."
Randolph says it was popular in the 1880s in Missouri.
THE BLIND CHILD- Mrs. H. A. Mullenix, Farmington, Arkansas, by Vance Randolph in 1941
They say, dear father, that tonight
You wed another bride,
That you will clasp her in your arms
Where my dear mother died.
That She will lean her graceful head
Upon your loving breast,
Where she who now lies low in death
In her last hours did rest.
They say her name is Mary, too,
The name my mother bore,
But father, will she be kind and true
Like the one we loved before?
And is her step so soft and low,
Her voice so sweet and mild?
And do you think she will love me too,
Your blind and helpless child?
Dear father, do not bid me come
To meet your new wed bride,
I could not meet her in the room
Where my dear mother died.
Her picture hangs on yonder wall,
Her books are lying near,
There is the harp her fingers touched,
And there's her vacant chair.
The chair by which I used to kneel
To say my evening prayer,
Dear father, it would break my heart,
I could not meet her there.
Now let me kneel down by your side
And to your dear Savior pray,
That God's right hand may lead you both
Up life's long dreary way.
The prayer was offered and a song,
I'm tired now, she said,
He picked her up right in his arms
And laid her on the bed.
He turned his back to leave the room,
One joyful cry was given,
He turned and caught the last secret smile,
His blind child was in Heaven.
They buried her by her mother's side
And raised a marble there,
On it inscribed these simple words,
There'll be no blind ones there.
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