Eliza
In the very first house in Salt Lake there lay
Born on the very first day of May
A little baby sweet and fair
With large brown eyes and silky dark hair
Kissed by the angels and bade to go
Gladden the hearts of loved ones below
"How we do love her," the Father said
As he asked God's blessing o'er her head
Wisdom taught her for love he did entwine
This little maid until nearly nine
When the mother she loved had to bid her good-bye
For the white-robed boat was standing by
with angels to bear her far away
No more to come back for a single day
To braid sweet little Eliza's hair
Or lighten the tasks of each childish care
Soothing her little brother John
And putting baby Elizabeth's pinafore on
Or kissing the Father's sorrowing brow
But Eliza was a child of love somehow
On the walls of memory in childhood's space
Hung the saintly mother's angel face
With all around it the shadowy light
Childhood teachings of truth so bright
With God's love that fell in the sun and dew
She gathered them all and like a flower she grew
Though hard were her struggles Eliza fair child
Would lighten them all by the same sweet smile
When a stepmother took her mother's place
Long she studied this different face
The voice at first seemed kind and she thought it strange
That a voice so kind could suddenly change
Though it changed to a cruel note
It did not tarnish the heart it broke
though hard were her struggles Eliza fair child
Would lighten them all by the same sweet smile
William Wordsworth the Father was staunch and true
Fearing God and loving his family too
But children had to be both cared for and fed
He could not stay home and earn daily bread
How her eyes would brighten at his return
One glance of his could have healed the space
Of all her suffereing without a trace
But for baby Elizabeth and brother John
She could have been happy the whole day long
Oft she would beg
She would cuddle them closely as might in bed
Their only comfort they've often said
While Elizabeth would murmur, "Eliza is our mama dead?"
For her stepbrothers and sisters used to say
This is our mother why don't you go away?
Through their cast of shoes had to fit her feet
They led her not
Their paths of wrong ne'er touched her feet
Over her stepmother old and grey
The white-robed boat soon to pass that way
She held her withered and wrinkled hand
For she sent for Eliza--the child of love and forgiveness so great
She even kissed her withered cheek
As her belongings she gave Eliza a token to keep
Thus her days passed by in childhood's dream
But, time changes for all
Thus passed sweet Eliza's childhood day
Or which old and grey she now can gaze
For sixty-five years have passed away
Since that babe was born on the first of May
But her smile bears still the same sweet charm
Her heart with love is just as warm
Her voice and her silver locks of grey
Like the birds and flowers are blessings of May
The one she wed is just and good
True by her side he has ever stood
and many grandchildren now adorn
The love with which sweet Eliza was born
One little orphan has lived to share
The blessings that crown her snow-white hair
And children and grandchildren bless the day
That babe was born on the first of May.
Born on the very first day of May
A little baby sweet and fair
With large brown eyes and silky dark hair
Kissed by the angels and bade to go
Gladden the hearts of loved ones below
"How we do love her," the Father said
As he asked God's blessing o'er her head
Wisdom taught her for love he did entwine
This little maid until nearly nine
When the mother she loved had to bid her good-bye
For the white-robed boat was standing by
with angels to bear her far away
No more to come back for a single day
To braid sweet little Eliza's hair
Or lighten the tasks of each childish care
Soothing her little brother John
And putting baby Elizabeth's pinafore on
Or kissing the Father's sorrowing brow
But Eliza was a child of love somehow
On the walls of memory in childhood's space
Hung the saintly mother's angel face
With all around it the shadowy light
Childhood teachings of truth so bright
With God's love that fell in the sun and dew
She gathered them all and like a flower she grew
Though hard were her struggles Eliza fair child
Would lighten them all by the same sweet smile
When a stepmother took her mother's place
Long she studied this different face
The voice at first seemed kind and she thought it strange
That a voice so kind could suddenly change
Though it changed to a cruel note
It did not tarnish the heart it broke
though hard were her struggles Eliza fair child
Would lighten them all by the same sweet smile
William Wordsworth the Father was staunch and true
Fearing God and loving his family too
But children had to be both cared for and fed
He could not stay home and earn daily bread
How her eyes would brighten at his return
One glance of his could have healed the space
Of all her suffereing without a trace
But for baby Elizabeth and brother John
She could have been happy the whole day long
Oft she would beg
She would cuddle them closely as might in bed
Their only comfort they've often said
While Elizabeth would murmur, "Eliza is our mama dead?"
For her stepbrothers and sisters used to say
This is our mother why don't you go away?
Through their cast of shoes had to fit her feet
They led her not
Their paths of wrong ne'er touched her feet
Over her stepmother old and grey
The white-robed boat soon to pass that way
She held her withered and wrinkled hand
For she sent for Eliza--the child of love and forgiveness so great
She even kissed her withered cheek
As her belongings she gave Eliza a token to keep
Thus her days passed by in childhood's dream
But, time changes for all
Thus passed sweet Eliza's childhood day
Or which old and grey she now can gaze
For sixty-five years have passed away
Since that babe was born on the first of May
But her smile bears still the same sweet charm
Her heart with love is just as warm
Her voice and her silver locks of grey
Like the birds and flowers are blessings of May
The one she wed is just and good
True by her side he has ever stood
and many grandchildren now adorn
The love with which sweet Eliza was born
One little orphan has lived to share
The blessings that crown her snow-white hair
And children and grandchildren bless the day
That babe was born on the first of May.
