Give me no days of long ago, of youth and meadow-

sweet,

And daisies rippling down the slopes, and paths

which coax the feet

Aside to restful, cool retreats, beside a wayside

spring;

Give me no days of long ago. Nor give me anything

Excepting just the very things that this one day

doth hold;

The little girl with eyes 0' blue, and locks of ruddy

gold,

And laughing little sister.girl.. to wait the whole day

through

Till dad comes laughing home from work to play

with her at "Boo!"

Dad's locks were thicker years ago, and clustered o'er

his brow;

The dust of years had not begun to sprinkle them

as now;

But though they're absent now in front, they're

thicker at the back,

And babe can get a hand-hold there when she rides

pick-a-pack;

And that is good enough for babe, and good enough

for dad,

And mother laughs to see us romp, and all the world

is glad;

And days and ways of long ago coax not a little bit,

Nor rustic benches 'way back there where two were

wont to sit.

If we fared back along the trail to days we romped

in then

We might somehow go straying wide, and never

meet again

The joys which have so filled our lives as full as they

can hold;

Might miss the girl with eyes 0' blue and locks of

ruddy gold;

Might miss the laugh of sister-girl who waits till day

is through

For dad to come and romp with her and play with

her at "Boo!"

And so I tell myself at night, with her against my

breast

I would not change my life at all. God knows His

business best.

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