Classic and Contemporary Poetry
BABY IN CHURCH, by MINNIE M. GOW First Line: Aunt nellie had fashioned a dainty thing Last Line: Ere our baby re-enter the family pew. Subject(s): Babies; Public Worship; Infants; Church Attendance | ||||||||
AUNT NELLIE had fashioned a dainty thing Of hamburg and ribbon and lace, And mamma had said, as she settled it round Our Baby's beautiful face, Where the dimples play and the laughter lies Like sunbeams hid in her violet eyes, -- "If the day is pleasant, and Baby is good, She may go to church and wear her new hood." Then Ben, aged six, began to tell, In elder-brotherly way, How very, very good she must be If she went to church next day. He told of the church, the choir, and the crowd, And the man up in front who talked so loud; But she must not talk, nor laugh, nor sing, But just sit as quiet as anything. And so, on a beautiful Sabbath in May, When the fruit-buds burst into flowers (There wasn't a blossom on bush or tree So fair as this blossom of ours), All in her white dress, dainty and new, Our Baby sat in the family pew. The grand, sweet music, the reverent air, The solemn hush, and the voice of prayer, Filled all her baby soul with awe, As she sat in her little place, And the holy look that the angels wear Seemed pictured upon her face. And the sweet words uttered so long ago Came into my mind with a rhythmic flow, -- "Of such is the kingdom of heaven," said He, And I knew He spake of such as she. The sweet-voiced organ pealed forth again, The collection-box came around, And Baby dropped her penny in, And smiled at the chinking sound. Alone in the choir Aunt Nellie stood, Waiting the close of the soft prelude, To begin her solo. High and strong She struck the first note; clear and long She held it, and all were charmed, but one Who, with all the might she had, Sprang to her little feet and cried, "Aunt Nellie, you's being bad!" The audience smiled, the minister coughed, The little boys in the corner laughed, The tenor shook like an aspen-leaf, And hid his face in his handkerchief. And poor Aunt Nellie could never tell How she finished that terrible strain, But says nothing on earth could tempt Her to go through the scene again. So we have decided, perhaps't is best, For her sake, and ours, and all the rest, That we wait, may be a year or two, Ere our Baby re-enter the family pew. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE WHEELING GOSPEL TABERNACLE by JAMES WRIGHT GIRLS GOING TO CHURCH by JOHN CIARDI EFFECT OVER DISTANCE by ALBERT GOLDBARTH THE RESPECTABLE BURGHER, ON 'THE HIGHER CRITICISM' by THOMAS HARDY GOSPEL VILLANELLE by ANDREW HUDGINS SONG BEFORE SORROW by LOUISE A. BALDWIN REMARKS TO THE BACK OF A PEW by WILLIAM ROSE BENET WHITE SPIRITUAL by WILLIAM BERRY THE MOUSE by ELIZABETH JANE COATSWORTH |
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