Three Little Babes- Riley (FL) pre1950 Morris B
[From Folksongs of Florida; Morris, 1950.
R. Matteson 2015]
B. "The Three Little Babes." Recorded from the singing of Mrs. J. E. Riley, High Springs, who learned the song from her mother, a lifetime resident of Union County.
There was a lady, a Lady fair,
She had three small children dear;
She sent them away to Amerland,
To learn their grammaree.
They were not gone but a very short while,
Scarcely say six months to a day,
When sickness and sorrow came through the land,
And sweeped her little babes away.
She wondered if there was any heaven above,
Or any God so kind,
To send her home her three little babes,
Tonight or in the morning soon.
As she was sitting one cold Christmas night,
All in her hall alone,
Her three little babes appeared to her,
Tonight or in the morning soon.
She spread a table all in a line,
And on it Put cake and wine.
"Come in, come in, my three little babes,
Eat cake and drink Your wine."
"We don't want your cake, dear Mother,
We neither want your wine;
Our Savior stands a-calling of us,
And we must go and join."
She made three little beds all in a row,
On them put three white sheets,
On every bed a golden straw,
To see if her little babes could sleep.
"Rise up, rise up," said the eldest one,
"Rise up all in a line;
Our Savior is a-calling of us,
And we must go and join.
"Dark clouds roll over our heads, dear Mother,
Green grass grows over our feet,
For the tears you've shed for us, dear Mother,
Would wet our winding sheet.
"Farewell, farewell to you, dear Mother,
Farewells to friend and foe,
If we never meet on earth again, Mother,
I hope we'll meet in Heaven above."