The Cyber Hymnal ‎#16744

16744. My Mother Dear

1 There was a place in child­hood,
That I re­me­mber well;
And there a voice of sweet­est tone,
Bright fai­ry tales did tell;
And gen­tle words and fond em­brace
Were giv’n with joy to me,
When I was in that hap­py place,
Upon my mo­ther’s knee.
My mo­ther dear, my mo­ther dear,
My gen­tle, gen­tle mo­ther.

2 When fai­ry tales were end­ed,
"Good night," she soft­ly said,
And kissed, and laid me down to sleep,
Within my ti­ny bed;
And ho­ly words she taught me there;
Methinks I yet can see
Her an­gel eye, as close I knelt
Beside my mo­ther’s knee,
My mo­ther dear, my mo­ther dear,
My gen­tle, gen­tle mo­ther.

3 In sick­ness of my child­hood,
The per­ils of my prime,
The sor­rows of my rip­er years,
The cares of ev­ery time:
When doubt and dan­ger weighed me down,
Then plead­ing all for me,
It was a fer­vent prayer to Heav’n
That bent my mo­ther’s knee.
My mo­ther dear, my mo­ther dear,
My gen­tle, gen­tle mo­ther.

Text Information

• First Line: There was a place in child­hood
• Title: My Mother Dear
• Author: Samuel Lover
• Language: English
• Source: The Public School Singing Book (Philadelphia: Leary & Getz, 1846)
• Copyright: Public Domain

Tune Information

• Name: [There was a place in child­hood]
• Composer: Anonymous (1871)
• Key: D Major
• Copyright: Public Domain