Her daddy had worked hard that day,

And, having gone to bed, he lay

And turned and tossed, and lay awake;

Somehow he could not put a brake

Upon his all too active mind.

The wheels would still revolve and grind;

He kicked the covers in a heap,

And growled: "I do wish I could sleep!"

With that a little baby form

Crept through the darkness soft and warm.

And climbing into daddy's bed

Lay down and snuggled her gold head

Close up to daddy's, and then sang

In childish. treble notes which rang

All through the house-each room and hall-

f And then he could not sleep at all!

But still her voice was a delight.

And in the darkness of the night

He lay and listened to her, and

He held and kissed a dimpled hand

And hugged her close, and all the time

.She sang; and every nursery rhyme

She e'er had heard she sang, and then

She bravely sang them all again.

And after a while sleep came down,

And lower sunk the tousled crown;

Sometimes the voice would falter some,

Then with a wakened gush would come

Stronger awhile, then dwindle far

To where the faintest echoes are;

And dad lay there and listened to

Her songs the while she sang them through.

And then he tweaked a golden curl,

And said: "Tell daddy, little girl,

What moved you to do such a thing

As come here at midnight to sing?"

Then sleepily, from the wee heap;

"Why, dad, me's singin' you to freep!"

And then dad gave her a caress,

And thanked God for his wakefulness.

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