When light shown around her, she awoke out of sleep,
Crying, "My father, my father, I'll care for your sheep!"
Her father woke up in a world as bright as day,
Where angels were singing a great roundelay.
There angels more bright the sun and the moon,
Soaring and singing a wonderful tune,
"Oh, glory to God in the highest," they sang,
"Peace on earth and good will to men, a Saviour is born.
He lies in a manger in Bethlehem village,
The star is the sight."
They took little gifts of the dearest and best,
Some eggs, some honey, young doves from nests,
A new loaf of bread for Saint Mary to eat,
And fine woolen blankets to cover her feet.
From out of the earth the look of delight,
Came branches of roses all blossomed in white.
Little Magellon kneeled and adored,
The smile in the eye of the dear little Lord.
___________________________________________
Two Little Orphans
Two little children, a boy and a girl,
They stood by an old church door.
The little girl's face was as brown,
As the curl that hung on the dress that she wore.
The little boy's clothes were all tattered and torn,
With tear underneath little eyes.
"Why don't you go home to your mother?" he said.
And this was the maiden's reply,
"Momma is in heaven,
God took her away,
Left me and Jimmy alone.
Came here to sleep at the close of the day,
For we have no mother or home.
"We are too little to work," she said,
"Jim's five and I am only seven.
"Daddy was lost on the sea long ago.
We waited all night on the shore.
He was the life saving captain, you know,
But he never came back anymore."
The sexton came early to ring the church bell.
He rang it beneath the snow white,
And Jesus made room for the orphans.
To dwell in heaven with Mother that night.
"A Christmas Poem" and "Two Little Orphans," of whom the authors are unknown, were recited by Anne Hendry Stone and transcribed by her son Spessard Stone. The former was a poem she memorized as a grammar school student at Tura, Florida. The latter is a song. They were published in The Herald-Advocate (Wauchula, Fla.) of December 14, 1995.
August 21, 2001 & October 17, 2001 & May 13, 2002 music = "Where Is My Mama," (1910), rearranged August 2, 2004.
