The House Carpenter- Paugh (WV) 1915 Cox D
[From Folk-Songs of the South by Cox- 1925; his notes follow. Both D and E were contributed by George Paugh, E was learned from his mother.
R. Matteson 2013]
25. JAMES HARRIS (THE DAEMON LOVER) (Child, No. 243)
Twenty-one variants have been found in West Virginia, under the titles: "The House Carpenter," "The House Carpenter's Wife," and "The Salt Water Sea" (cf. Cox, xlv, 159). The story is virtually the same in all the variants.
In the main, the West Virginia variants agree very closely with Child B, but contain here and there stanzas that show relations to other Child versions. The returned lover has lost all trace of the "Daemon," unless such a trace is found in A 13, 14.
For a list of American texts see Journal, xxx, 325; xxxv, 346. Add Campbell and Sharp, No. 29 (North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee); Pound, No. 17 (Illinois; same as Journal, xxvi, 360); Minish MS. (North Carolina); Bulletin; Nos. 6-11.
D. "The House Carpenter." Communicated by Mr. George Paugh, Thomas, Tucker County, October 1915; written down for him by Mrs. Stella Thomas, Ben Bush.
1 "Well met, well met, my own true love,
Well met, well met," said he;
"I have just returned from the salt, salt sea,
And it's all for the love of thee.
2 "I could have married a queen's daughter fair,
In fain married would she be;
But I regret of her golden crown,
And it's all for the love of thee."
3 "You should have married a queen's daughter,
In fain married would she;
For I have married a house carpenter, .
And a fine young man is he."
4 "If you will forsake your house carpenter,
And go along with me,
I'll take you where the grass grows green,
On the banks of a sweet libertee."
5 "If I would forsake my house carpenter,
And go along with thee,
What have you to maintain me on,
And keep me from misery?"
6 "Seven ships I have out on the sea,
Seven more I have at land;
One hundred and ten, brave jolly young men,
All to be at your command."
7 "Then I will forsake my house carpenter
And go along with thee,
If you will take me where the grass grows green,
On the banks of the sweet libertee."
8 She called her children to her side,
And gave them kisses three,
Saying, "Stay at home with your papa, dear,
And keep him in company. "
9 She dressed herself in rich array,
Most glorious to behold;
And every town that she sailed through,
She shone like the glittering gold.
10 "O do you weep for gold," he said,
"Or do you weep for fear?
Or do you weep for the house carpenter,
That you left and came with me here?"
11 "I do not weep for gold," she said,
"I do not weep for fear;
But I do weep for the pretty little babes,
That I left and came with you here."
12 We had not been at sea three weeks,
I am sure it was not four,
Till this fair lillie threw herself overboard,
And her weeping was heard no more.
13 He turned himself round about,
With dark and watering eyes,
Saying, "The nearest and the dearest of this world must part,
And so must you and I."
14 O cursed be those seafaring men,
O cursed be their lives,
For the robbing of the house carpenter
And the stealing away of his wife
15 They had not sailed half across the main,
Till the winds began to roar,
And the ship sprang a leak, and she sank to the deep,
And she sank to rise no more.