Little Pearl

" Poor little Pearl, good little Pearl! "
Sighed every kindly neighbour;

It was so sad to see a girl
So tender, doomed to labour.

A wee bird fluttered from its nest
Too soon, was that meek creature;

Just fit to rest in mother's breast,
The darling of fond Nature.

God shield poor little ones, where all
Must help to be bread-bringers!
For once afoot, there's none too small
To ply their tiny fingers.

Poor Pearl, she had no time to play
The merry game of childhood;
From dawn to dark she went all day,
A-wooding in the wild-wood.

When others played she stole apart
In pale and shadowy quiet;
Too full of care was her child-heart
For laughter running riot.

Hard lot for such a tender life,
And miserable guerdon;
But, like a womanly wee wife,
She bravely bore her burden.

One wintry day they wanted wood,
When need was at the sorest;
Wee Pearl, without a bit of food
Must up and to the forest.

But there she sank down in the snow,
All over numbed and aching;

Poor little Pearl, she cried as though
Her very heart was breaking.

The blinding snow shut out the house
From little Pearl so weary;

The lonesome wind among the boughs
-Moaned with its warnings eerie.

A Spirit-Child to wee Pearl came,
With footfall light as Fairy;

He took her hand, he called her name,
The voice was sweet and airy.

His gentle eyes filled tenderly
With mystical wet brightness:

"And wovld you like to come with me,
And wear the robe of whiteness? "
He bore her bundle to the door,
Gave her a flower when going;

" My darling, I shall come once more,
WIten the little bud is blowing."

Home very wan came little Pearl,
But on her face strange glory;

They only thought, " What ails the girl? "
And laughed to hear her story.

Next morn the Mother sought her child,
And clasped it to her bosom;

Poor little Pearl, in death she smiled,
And the rose was full in blossom.