The Blind Girl- McDowells c. 1890s
THE BLIND GIRL
1. "O father dear, they say tonight,
You wed another bride,
That you will take her in your arms,
where my dear mother died."
"And she will lay her greceful head
Upon your loving breast,
Where hers now lylrg low tn deattl
In 111e t e laet hours dld rest , t'
"They sey her naloe 1s Mary, t,oee
The nane ry mother bore i
ffid tr s ehe juet as klnd and true
As the orre yo* loved befqre ?{n
And ls her sbep as sof t and low 't
--Her vol"ce &s sireet and mtld 7
And do you think ehre I l"l" cara for E r
Your bllnd and he3"p3"sm sh*ld ?o'
"Please, Father, do not make me CIom
To greet your xlw-lrr&ds bn&cle ;
I c qul d no t, nee t fier [n the rCI om
Where ey dear mother dted.E
6. "Her plcture hangs upon the wall
Her books are lYlng there ;
tnere stands the harp her flngers touched
And there I s lier easY- chalr. t'
7. That chalr whe re by her st de I knel t
To 6ay riY evenlrg Pr aY er i
0 Father, lt would break rny ^.heart i
i could not niee t her there. "
" bnt, when I weep mY se lf to sl eeP ,
As now I always do ;
Then softlY to mY chanber creep t
l[V new llisstri& and Y ou "
Her song was ended ln a Prayer :
ttItm weary now rr ,she sa1d !
Her father clasPed her 1n hls armg
And lald her on tlre bed.
10. And as he turned to leave the room
One i oYful cry was glven .t -
Her iather caught tier ln hl s arms :
Hls bl1nd one was ln Heaven.
11. They lald her by lier nother I s slcle
AnO ralsed a marble falr i
And tliere entraved these slm1ile words '
tt Tfrere t 11 be no bllnd oneg there ' "
The tune of thl s song ls reuienbered by bot,h
L.L.tricDowell ancl Mrs . McD6well as sung by_ them and
{frlf r f1lends mar\y years ago. The words are aleo
romenibereA ny thet i,ottr, w6II enough that they . could'
be wrl tten plrety f rom neriory ; though, - as ln the
c ase of nan' of iliese old sor e MrI . IicDowell hae
a eopt |n frer own handwrl tlng-whlch was furnl shed
fo"g'ui3o from the nemory of a frlend or fron a
slnj,la:r' copY.