Composed by J. W. Miller
December 26, 1893
Eden Ranch, Del Mar, California
It is 25 long years ago
Since we stood hand in hand,
In the little church in Kingston
And on her finger placed a band.
A little band of Gold, folks.
And worn thin, as you may,
But she never broke the pledge,
That day she made to me.
I was young, strong and active then
Full of strength and knack
There was not a man around then
Could put me on my back.
And she was proud of me then,
Proud of my strength and grit
And if she would speak her mind now;
She would say "there are few men like him yet."
And she was young and comely, then,
Her eyes with love did shine
Her hair was black and glossy then
And almost as black as mine.
But a quarter of century
has passed since then,
And what there is left of mine
Is getting mighty low.
But sometimes she gets cranky
And jaws me all the same,
But if the truth was known, folk
Maybe I'm most to blame.
For I was wild in my young days
Wild, well you may bet -
And now that I'm in my old days
I am sometimes coltish yet.
Eleven babes came to us.
Six did not seem to thrive.
He took them to His throne above
And left us the other five.
The five he left us were helps and blessings,
Good children kind and true.
The other six are sleeping neath
The sod of Waterloo.
There is Edith true and steady,
A daughter good and dear
And Hester can ride a bronco
With any cowboy here.
And Bob, a steady scholar,
He never yet was bad,
But Dot a wild young man,
And very much like his dad.
I thought I had spoken of all
When I got done with Dot,
But there is one most dear to me
That I had near forgot.
That is Kate our little fairy
So like her Auntie dear,
My dear old chum in Canada
For many a long, long year.
And now kind neighbors one and all
Eat, drink, and dance, your fill.
For I can tell you truly
It is given with good will.
So dance and eat, good neighbors.
Although our fare is plain,
For we may, and may never,
All meet in this house again. |
