Lexington Girl- Mary Boney (OH) 1939 Eddy C
[From: Eddy, "Ballads and Songs from Ohio," 1939. Most versions in her 1939 book are from the 1920s. The A and C versions of her "The Murdered Girl" ballads are of this ballad- B, is Banks of the Ohio.
This is one of three rare older versions. See "wanting eye" and last line in stanza 2. Her mother wanting them to marry because she is with child.
R. Matteson 2016]
C. "Lexington Girl." From Mrs. Mary Boney, Perrysville, Ohio.
1. My tender parents brought me up,
Provided for my wealth[1],
And in the town of Lexington
Employed me in a mill.
2. A lady came unto the mill,
And cast a wanting[2] eye;
I told her I would marry her
If she with me would lie.
3. So early the next Monday,
As you may understand,
Her mother wanted me to marry her
A-Saturday off-hand.
4. I sorrily reflected
And troubled in my mind,
Saying, "Polly[3], you have gained my love
Which caused my overthrow."
5. I went unto her sister's house
About eight o'clock at night;
I asked her for to take a walk,
A walk a little ways.
6. I told her we would take a walk
But a little ways,
That her and I might well agree
Upon the wedding day.
7, I then deluded her away
To some convenient place;
I drew a stake all out of the fence,
And struck her across the face.
8. She fell upon her bended knees,
"For mercy's sake," she cried,
"For mercy's sake don't murder me,
For I'm not fit to die."
9. I never minded a word she said,
But pelted her the more,
Until I had her life destroyed
To cover my sins o'er[4].
10. I took her by the hair of her head,
And threw her into the river;
I then returned unto my mill
Like one of olden age[5].
11. The miller he stepped up to me,
And on me he did gaze,
Saying, "How came this blood
Upon your hands and clothes?"
12. I replied, "It was bleeding[6]
Of the nose."
13. I went into my chamber
And threw myself on the bed,
I rolled and I tumbled the whole during night,
There was no rest for me.
14. The next day they sought for her
And could not find her;
Then they sought for me,
And in my chamber found me.
15. Her sister swore her life against me,
Without doubt or fear,
Saying I was the last man
That conveyed her sister out.
16. Then back to Lexington[7]
Where first I drawed my breath,
And by my own confession
Condemned me there to death.
17. Adieu to Lexington, adieu,
And, my old friends, adieu;
Young men, a warning take,
And to the girls prove true,
And oh, for God's sake, do.
Mrs. Betty Mace, of Perrysville, Ohio, tells the following story as a sequel to the above song. Not long after the murder, a hunter found the new mound, and on it was growing a wonderful flower. He gathered it for his wife, and was surprised to see another blossom at once take its place. He pulled it, too, and a third flower at once appeared. When this story became known, people went to the scene. The murderer was asked to go, too, but declined on the ground of illness. His friends insisted, however, and he at length went with them to the grave in the wood. After each had gathered one of the mysterious flowers, the murderer broke one off. At once the plant withered and died[8].
1. from "Provided for me well,"
2. wanton
3. folly
4. In other versions he covers up his sin meaning "murder" (he states "to cover my sin") by disposing her body in the river. In this version he kills her to cover up their sin of pregnancy without marriage-- a marriage which he did not want and would not agree to.
5. Like one who was "amazed."
6. Eddy's stanzaic divisions are wrong.
7. This resembles the "Lexington Miller" ending.
8. Amazingly this legend appears to be an analogue of the ending of "The Oxfordshire Tragedy; or, The Virgin's Advice." a similar yet different ballad about a murdered sweetheart which according to Ebsworth was written about the same time as The Berkshire tragedy and was sung to the same tune.