Papa Don't Know the Way

A darling child was lying still

Author: Henry J. Zelley
Tune: [A darling child was lying still]
Published in 1 hymnal

Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 A darling child was lying still,
Upon his dying bed;
He raised his eyes with earnest glance,
“up, up,” he faintly said.
The father stooped to lift him up,
But heard the sweet voice say,
“No! higher up! let mamma come,
For papa don’t know the way.”
Papa don’t’ know the way to heaven,
The land of endless day;
Let mamma come, and lift me up,
For papa don’t know the way.

2 The father turned in grief away,
‘Twas hard for them to part;
But, oh! the tender words so true,
Pierced deep his sinful heart
With burdened soul he left the room,
But on that very day,
He sought the Christ his boy had loved,
And papa found out the way.
Papa has found the way to heaven,
The land of endless day;
Let mamma come, and papa too,
For papa has found the way.

3 O, father, living on in sin,
If death should claim thy pride,
And seize with cold and icy hand
The darling at your side;
When his pure soul should wing it’s flight
From tenements of clay,
Would these sad words his lips repeat,
“Papa don’t know the way.”
Papa don’t’ know the way to heaven,
The land of endless day;
Let mamma come, and lift me up,
For papa don’t know the way.

Source: Hymns of the Kingdom: for use in religious meetings #94

Author: Henry J. Zelley

Henry Jeffreys Zelley was born at Mt. Holly, NJ, on Mar. 15, 1859. Educated in the Mt. Holly public schools, at Pennington Seminary, and at Taylor University, where he earned his M. A., Ph. D., and D. D. degrees, he became a Methodist minister in 1882 and first served in the New Jersey Conference as a statistical secretary, treasurer, and trustee, becoming a promoter of the campmeeting movement. Noted for his evangelistic fervor, Zelley produced over 1500 poems, hymns, and gospel songs. One of his songs, "He Brought Me Out" with music by Henry L. Gilmour, appears in several denominational hymnals. Cyberhymnal also lists "When Israel Out of Bondage Came" or "He Rolled the Sea Away" with music by Gilmour too. Another of Zelley’s so… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: A darling child was lying still
Title: Papa Don't Know the Way
Author: Henry J. Zelley
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Instances

Instances (1 - 1 of 1)
TextAudioPage Scan

Hymns of the Kingdom #94

Suggestions or corrections? Contact us