148. The Orphan Girl


148

The Orphan Girl

Well known in the southern Appalachians and not unknown in
the Middle West; see BSM 277, and add to the references there
given Virginia (FSV 117-18), North Carolina (FSRA 196-7),
Florida (FSF 119-23), the Ozarks (OFS iv 194-6), Indiana (BSI
291-7, SFLQ IV 198), and Michigan (BSSM 481, listed but text
not given). Shearin lists it in his Syllabus for Kentucky. Mrs.
Steely found it in the Ebenezer community in Wake county. The
numerous texts in our collection are pretty much alike, the varia-
tions being due for the most part to imperfect recollection by the
contributors. Only two are given in full.

* Miswritten, presumably, for "stolen away."

 

OLDER BALLADS — MOSTLY BRITISH 389

A

'The Orphan Girl.' Contributed by Jesse T. Carpenter of Durham about
1922.

1 'No home, no home,' plead a little girl
At the door of a rich man's hall

As she trembling stood on the marble steps
And leaned against the marble wall.

2 'My father's face I never knew' —
With tears in eyes so bright —

'My mother sleeps in a new-made grave;
I'm an orphan girl tonight.

3 'My dress is thin, my feet are bare,
The snow has covered my head.
Give me a home,' she feebly plead,
*A home and a bit of bread.'

4 The night was dark and the snow still fell.
The rich man closed his door.

His proud face frowned as he scornfully said
'No home and no bread for the poor.'

5 'No home, no home,' said the little girl
As she strove to wrap her feet.

Her tender frame all covered with snow,
Yes, covered in snow and sleet.

6 The night was dark, and the midnight chimes
Rang out like a funeral knell.

The earth seemed wrapped in winding sleet
And the drifting snow still fell.

7 The rich man slept on his velvet couch
And dreamed of his silver and gold.
While the orphan girl on a bed of snow
She murmured 'So cold, so cold.'

8 The morning dawned, and the orphan girl
Still lay at the rich man's door.

But her soul had fled to a world above
Where there's room and bread for the poor.

 

'The Orphan Girl.' Obtained by Jesse T. Carpenter from the manuscript
of Mrs. Mary Martin Copley, Route 8, Durham, apparently in 1923.
The air was set down by Miss Vivian Blackstock. The text is close
to A, the chief dififerences being that stanzas 2 and 3 are interchanged
and that what is now stanza 2 is in the third person :

Her clothes were thin and her feet were bare,
But the snow had covered her head.

 

390 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE

C

'The Orphan Girl.' From Professor M. G. Fulton of Davidson Col-
lege, Mecklenburg county, about 191 4- 15. Eight stanzas, some of them
incomplete.

D

'The Orphan Girl.' From Virginia Bowers, Stanly county. Eight
stanzas ; stanzas 2 and 3 as in B, and stanzas 5, 6, 7 of A become stanzas
6, 7, 5 in D. There are also numerous minor variations.

E
'The Orphan Girl.' From Mrs. Sutton, apparently in 1923 or there-
abouts. Seven stanzas, corresponding with slight variations to stanzas
I, 3, 2, 4, 7, 6, 8 of A. Her informant "got this from his mother
in Buncombe. Myra knows it and Miss Blackstock has heard her old
nurse sing it."

F
'The Orphan Girl.' Contributed by Mrs. Minnie Church of Heaton,
Avery county, in October 1930. Nine stanzas.

G
'The Orphan Girl.' From the manuscript songbook of Miss Lura Wag-
oner of Vox, set down probably about 1912. Seven stanzas.

H
'The Orphan Girl.' Contributed by Beulah Walton of Durham in 1923.
Seven stanzas.

 

'The Orphan Girl.' Secured by L. W. Anderson from Maxine Tillett,
one of his pupils at Nag's Head. Seven stanzas, corresponding, with
slight variations, with stanzas i, 3, 2, 6, 5, 8 of A.

J
'The Orphan Girl.' Contributed by Macie Morgan of Stanly county.
Here the story is expanded, especially at the close.

1 'No home, no home,' said a little girl
At the door of a princely hall

As she trembling stood on the marble steps
And leaned on the polished wall.

2 Her clothes were thin and her feet were bare,
And snow covered her head.

'Give me a home,' she faintly cried,
'A home and a piece of bread.

 

3 'My father, alas, I never knew,'
And tears did fall so bright.
'My mother sleeps in a new-made tomb
'Tis an orphan that begs tonight.'

 

OLDER BALLADS — MOSTLY BRITISH 39I

4 The night was dark and the snow still fell
When the rich man closed his door,

And his proud lips curled as he courtly^ said,
'No room, no bread for the poor.'

5 'I must freeze,' she said as she sat on the steps
And strove to cover her feet

With her old tattered clothes all covered with snow,
Yes, covered with snow and sleet.

6 Bright angels came at the midnight storm,
Yes, came to her relief

And bore her away on their snowy white wings
To heaven, her mother to greet.

7 A golden crown, a snow-white robe
Was given her then to wear ;

And the bread of life her soul to eat
To reward her suffering here.

8 No more will she beg for the rich man's bread,
No more will she sleep on the snow ;

For her soul has gone to that home above.
Where there's room and bread for the poor.

9 The rich man arose at the dawn of day,
And slowly he opened the door

To find at his feet a frozen girl
He had left so late before.

10 As he gazed on the beautiful form at his feet
And thought of the dreadful sin,

He whispered low as the tears rolled down,
'Alas ! it might not have been !'

1 1 The rich man arose at the dawn of day
And slowly opened the door.

'I'm ruined,' he said as he fainted ;
'Alas ! it's my sister's child.'

12 A few more years and the rich man died,
And his soul was carried below.

And his own little girl, his joy and pride.
Was begging from door to door.

13 And now, kind friends, take warning from this
And never refuse to give ;

For the Lord above, who gives to all.
May refuse to let you live.
* Probably niiswritten for "curtly."

 

392 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE

K

'"No Home, No Home," said a Little Girl.' Secured in 1927 by Julian
P. Boyd from Carlos Holton, one of his pupils at Alliance, Pamlico
county. Somewhat reduced; five and a half stanzas.

L
*The Orphan Child.' From Ruth Efird, Stanly county. Reduced to four
stanzas ; ends with the little girl murmuring "so cold, so cold."

 

' "No Home, No Home," said a Little Girl.' Reported by Thomas
Smith of Zionville, Watauga county, presumably in 191 5. Only four
stanzas, with the notation that it "is part of the song only. I heard it
sung when a child probably 30 or more years ago."

N
'The Orphan Girl.' From the John Burch Blaylock Collection. Eight
stanzas.
-----------
 


148

The Orphan Girl

 

'The Orphan Girl.' Mrs. Vivian Blackstock. Recorded, probably in 1923, no
place given.

The tune is identical with that of 148C, below and all the comments there
also apply to this.

 

'The Orphan Girl.' Sung by M. G. Fulton. Recorded as ms score; no date
or place given.

All three versions of this collection have basically the same melodic contour,
although they all vary in details. In the general melodic outline the first two
measures of this version are quite similar to those of 'Villikins and His Dinah'
204A, 'Indian Mohee' iioF and 'Jefferson City' 81 A. Cf. SFSEA 48, No. 19.

This tune is identical with the anonymous version, which may be the one
said to have heen taken down by Mrs. Blackstock, 148B. It is almost identical
with 148H.

 


For melodic relationship cf. ***ASb 316; FSoA 17; FSF 119-23; SCSM
454; BSM 278, version B; TexasFS 282; OFS iv, 194-6; TT 51, 'The Golden
Glove,' second version; *BSI 293-7.

Scale: Mode III. Tonal Center: c. Structure: abed (2,2,2,2).

The M s score gives for the third and fourth line of stanza i : "While she
trembling stood on the marble steps / And leaned on the polished wall." This
is the text of No. 148J.

 

'The Orphan Girl.' Sung by Mrs. Minnie Church. Recorded as MS score at
Heaton, Avery county, in October 1930.


For melodic relationship cf. ***ASb 316-17; FSoA 17; **SCSM 454, version
A; FSF 119, No. 58; BSM 278, version B; OFS iv 194, No. 72SA; ♦BSI 296.

Scale: Hexatonic (4). Tonal Center: c. Structure: abed (2,2,2,2).
One additional stanza is as follows (cf. 148L) :

 

 

The rich man lay on his bed of down
And dreamed of his silver and gold,
While the little girl lay on her bed of snow
And murmured, 'I'm cold, so cold.'

 

'The Orphan Girl.' Sung by Miss Beulah Walton. Recorded ; no date or place
given. Basically, this tune is the same as that of 148F. The first four measures
are almost identical with those of 148C.

 


For melodic relationship cf. ***ASb 316-17. FSoA 17; FSF 119, No. 58;
SCSM 454, version A; BSM 278, version B; OFS iv 194, No. 72SA ; *BSI 296.

Scale: Mode III. Tonal Center: b-flat. Structure: abed (2,2,2,2).