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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: transcription from Bradley Kincaid 'Mountain Ballads & Old-Time Songs' Old Homestead OHCD 4107.
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 Girl" also known "Blind Child" as and "Blind Child Prayer" is traditional song that was a favorite of Bradley Kincaid (1929). He recorded this 4 times - from 1929 to 1934. It appears on the Old Homestead CD, by no indication is given of the recording date and therefore it is impossible to know which recording it was. Kincaid's recording and radio performances may well have had an influence on non-commercial singers.
Randolph says it was popular in the 1880s in Missouri.
THE BLIND GIRL (from Bradley Kincaid)
They tell me father that tonight
You'll wed another bride,
That you shall clasp her in your arms
Where my poor mother died
They say her name is Mary too,
The name my mother bore,
But father, is she kind and true
Like the one you loved before?
And are her footsteps soft and low,
Her voice so sweet and mild?
And, father, will she will love me too,
Your blind and helpless child?
Oh father, do not bid me come
To meet your new-made bride,
I could not greet her in the room
Where my poor mother died
Her picture hanging on the wall,
Her bible lying there,
And there's a harp her fingers touched,
And there's her vacant chair
The chair where by I used to kneel
To say my evening prayer,
Oh father, do not bid me come,
I could not greet her there
Now let me kneel down by your side
And to the Saviour pray,
That God's right hand will lead you both
O'er life's long weary way
And when I've cried myself to sleep
As now I often do
Into my chamber softly creep
My new mama and you
You'll bid her press a gentle kiss
Upon my throbbing brow
Just as my own dear mama did
Papa, you're crying now
The prayer was murmured and she said
I'm growing weary now
He laid her gently on her bed
And kissed her snow-white brow
And as he turned to leave the room,
One joyful cry was given,
He turned and caught the last sweet smile,
His blind child was in Heaven
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