Two Sisters- Robbins (ME) 1926 Barry C
[My title. Fragment from British Ballads from Maine, Barry Eckstrom, Smyth, 1929. There are two text versions.
R. Matteson 2014]
C. [Two Sisters] Fragment, from the singing of Mrs. Rose Robbins, Northeast Harbor, September, 1928. Melody recorded by Mr. George Herzog.
[music upcoming]
Two sisters crossing the river bend,
The oldest pushed the Youngest in,
True, true,
True to my love,
My love so true to me.
The miller he put out his hook
And caught her by the petticoat.
The miller he was hung for her sake,
They burned her sister at the stake,
True, true,
True to my love,
My love so true to me.
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Two years before, in August, 1926, Mrs. Robbins gave a somewhat different fragment:
There came a young man making love there,
And he made choice of the youngest fair.
As they were going down by the river brim,
The oldest pushed the other in.
Oh, true to my love,
My love so true to me.
"Sister, sister, give me your hand,
And I will give you my house and land."
"I will not give you my hand,
But I will marry that young man."
"I'll neither lend you my hand nor my glove,
For all that you want is my true love."
Then the miller put out his hook
And caught her by the Petticoat.
The miller got her ring,
The miller pushed her back again.
Then the miller was hung for her sake,
The oldest sister burned at the stake.
True, true, true to my love,
My love so true to me.