There's a little gable window in a cottage far away,
Where a child in purple twilights used to softly kneel and pray,
While across the marge of evening fell the darkness, and the stars
Peeped in tender benediction over Heaven's silver bars.
Softly thro' the gathering shadows breathed that little, tender prayer,
For the undimmed faith of childhood knows a far diviner air.
God was good and so was mother, sunny moments stretched before,
And the after dreams were colored by the hues the future wore.
There's a little gable window in a cottage far away
Where a maiden used to linger at the closing of the day,
Face as fresh and fair as May-time, lips of laughter, eyes of blue,
Dreaming lightly of the future with a heart sincere and true.
All the winds that blew to meet her sang of happy days to be
When the rose of life should blossom in a land beyond the sea.
Hand in hand with love eternal all the future way seemed fair;
In that little olden cottage Youth had never met with care.
Ah, the years have brought me sorrowI am tired and weary now,
There is silver in my tresses, there are lines upon my brow,
And my heart is filled with longing just once more to kneel and pray
By the little gable window of that cottage for away.
