Book -^.J2Ct£JLS 
 
 Copyright N"_.__^.£^ 
 
 COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 
 
DADDY'S LITTLE GIRL 
 
 AND 
 
 OTHER CHILD VERSE 
 
 BY 
 LA FAYETTE LENTZ BUTLER 
 
 PRINCETON, N. J. : 
 
 THE FALCON PRESS 
 
 1907 
 
I tiaiSARY of CONGRESs] 
 I I wo Coul&s deceived | 
 I CZ\ 30 »90/ 
 I CopyDfM Entry 
 
 CLASS // XXc, No. 
 
 copy Q. 
 
 Copyright, 1907, 
 
 BY 
 
 La Fayette Lentz Butler 
 
TO HIS DADDY 
 
 are these verses affectionately 
 
 dedicated 
 
 by 
 
 one Zi'ho never zcas his little girl 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Daddy's Little Girl 
 
 In Our Garden 
 
 Rainy Sundays 
 
 At Night-time 
 
 Query 
 
 My Polly Dolly 
 
 The Fairies 
 
 When Jimmy Came 
 
 When Mother Plays 
 
 By the Cool-Spring 
 
 Grandma 
 
 An October Reminiscence 
 
 At Christmas-time 
 
 Wading 
 
 Company 
 
 Spring and Stars 
 
 The Sweet-Peas 
 
 Sunday Evenings 
 
 Coasting 
 
 Making a Path 
 
DADDY'S LITTLE GIRL. 
 
 Daddy's little girl am I 
 
 I don't know just the reason why, 
 
 We roam together hand in hand 
 
 E'en to the wondrous Story-land ; 
 
 He often holds me on his knee 
 
 And tells of folks I'd love to see, ' 
 
 Red Riding Hood, and old Sinbad ' 
 
 And all the troubles that he had. 
 
 Likewise of many fairies fair 
 
 And sprites who flit about the air ; 
 
 Then, too, about some warriors bold — 
 
 I wish I knew all he has told. 1 
 
 Sometimes we take a pretty walk i 
 
 And listen to the birdies talk, 
 
 I do not know a word they say — 
 
 But Dad, he tells me right awa}- 
 
 For he can quickly understand 
 
 The language of the Birdie-Land. ; 
 
 Again we often take a look \ 
 
 Across the highest mountain's nook, ; 
 
 And see the bears drink from a cup J 
 
 When both our eyes are sharpened up. ' 
 
 Really, this I've never seen 
 
 But Dad has — for he's tall and lean. 
 
 Yet I pretend I see them, too \ 
 
 Of course, I cannot, really true. 
 
 I don't know just the reason why ] 
 
 But Daddy's little girl am I. 
 
DADDY S LITTLE GIRL 
 
 IN OUR GARDEN. 
 
 It's so nice in our garden 
 Where many a flower grows, 
 The little white-dressed lilies, 
 The pretty red-faced rose. 
 
 The smiling gay-clad tulips. 
 The slender tall sweet-peas, 
 It's so nice in our garden, 
 But it's lovely in our trees. 
 
 For there I climb when hiding 
 From witches, whom, they say 
 Look out for little girlies 
 To take them far away. 
 
 I'm not so frightened at them 
 Although, perhaps, they roam, 
 I really climb to wait and watch 
 My Daddy coming home. 
 
AND OTHER CHILD \'ERSE 
 
 RAINY SUNDAYS. 
 
 When we have rainy Sundays 
 And one can't go outdoors. 
 Dad and I, to the nursery 
 Steal off, to play of course. 
 
 And, while the pitter-patter 
 Without, keeps making noise, 
 We get out dolls and paper-books 
 And lots of pretty toys. 
 
 We think it's awful naughty 
 To play on such a day. 
 But still we both enjoy it 
 And laugh the rain away. 
 
 Sometimes my mama scolds Dad 
 For teaching me such ways, 
 But Dad and I, we like them — 
 Those rainy Sunday days. 
 
DADDY S LITTLE GIRL 
 
 AT NIGHT-TIME. 
 
 I like it when the night comes 
 For that's the time, you know, 
 When Dad and I, together, 
 Up to my beddie go. 
 
 And after I have crept in 
 And said my little prayer. 
 Dear Dad sits down beside me 
 And tells tales, wondrous, fair ; 
 
 Of fairies and hobgoblins. 
 And n3aiiphs that dwell in trees, 
 And good and kind young princes, 
 Or sailors on the seas. 
 
 Then I play we are sailing. 
 And oh — how^ nice it seems 
 As we speed on so quickly 
 To that fair land of Dreams. 
 
 But when the golden sunglow 
 Peeps through the window-pane, 
 ^ly old ship has sailed backward 
 To my little room again. 
 
AND OTHER CHILD VERSE 
 
 QUERY. 
 
 Dear Daddy, do you really think 
 
 A man's up in the moon, 
 
 Who, just like you, can eat and drink 
 
 And sing a jolly tune? 
 
 And do you think there's only one 
 
 Within that moon so fair; 
 
 If so, I guess he has no fun 
 
 And must be lonely there. 
 
 Perhaps he has a little girl 
 
 About as big as me. 
 
 And, perhaps, he likes to pull her curl 
 
 As you do mine — you see, 
 
 I wonder if she's very good 
 
 And loves her Daddy, too, 
 
 I'm sure though that she never could 
 
 Love him as I love you. 
 
 Although it may be bright and gay 
 
 Up there among the stars, 
 
 I think I'd rather live and play 
 
 Within this world of ours ; 
 
 Unless that little girl I'd be 
 
 To watch the starry view. 
 
 And the old man, of course, you see, 
 
 Dear Daddy, would be you. 
 
DADDY S LITTLE GIRT. 
 
 MY POLLY DOLLY. 
 
 I've got a little dolly 
 
 With the cutest sort of head, 
 I long since named her Polly, 
 
 She goes with me to bed. 
 
 She's not like Jimmy brother 
 For though she has a voice. 
 
 And speaks to me, her mother, 
 At night she makes no noise. 
 
 For when I hear Jim crying, 
 I'm 'fraid he'll wake her — oh— 
 
 Yet spite her hardest trying, 
 She says but ''Yes" and "No." 
 
AND OTHER CHILD VERSE 
 
 THE FAIRIES. 
 
 Dad says that fairies often fly 
 About both night and day, 
 Not only in the starry sky, 
 
 But near me, when I play, ] 
 
 And gently whisper in my ear ■ 
 
 Words oftentimes I cannot hear. j 
 
 ] 
 
 They have transparent, silver wings, j 
 And listen all the while 
 
 To each girl as she talks and sings ; 3 
 
 And they quite gladly smile [ 
 
 When girls are good ; but when they're bad ,^ 
 
 The fairies go away so sad. ' 
 
 And if you're very, very good i 
 
 They kiss and call you dear, i 
 
 But if you don't do as you should \ 
 
 They sometimes shed a tear, "; 
 I've never seen them, but I'll try 
 
 And do what's good, and keep them by. j 
 
DADDY S LITTLE GIRL 
 
 WHEN JIMMY CAME. 
 
 When Jimmy came to our house 
 
 So many years ago, 
 
 He was a tiny, tiny boy 
 
 Who didn't even know 
 
 I was his sister, couldn't talk. 
 
 Nor even play, and much less walk. 
 
 When first he came to our house. 
 My little Jimmie brother, 
 Whenever I would start to sing, 
 **Hush, hush," would say my mother 
 "He's fast asleep, and, dear, such noise 
 Is not good for such tiny boys." 
 
 Since Jimmie came to our house 
 
 He's grown big and tall, 
 
 It seems as though he never were 
 
 A baby boy at all : 
 
 And now he's three, and speaks my name 
 
 Like I do — oh — I'm glad he came. 
 
AND OTHER CHILD VERSE 
 
 WHEN MOTHER PLAYS. 
 
 I like our big piano 
 When mother sits and plays, 
 On early twilight evenings, 
 Or bright and sunny days. 
 
 I like it best in Winter 
 So dark and snowy-wild, 
 When Dad sits by the fireplace 
 With me and Jimmy-child. 
 
 As mother then starts playing 
 In accents soft and low, 
 We cuddle up to Daddy 
 And watch the embers glow. 
 
 And he tells glowing stories 
 Of Knights in olden days. 
 Oh, but I love such evenings 
 When mother sits and plays. 
 
DADDYS LITTLE GIRL 
 
 BY THE COOL-SPRING.* 
 
 When Daddy, Jimmy-boy and I 
 
 Go walking on the hilly side, 
 
 Up to the rocks so very high, 
 
 Where laughing, babbling waters glide 
 
 We listen to the songs they sing. 
 
 As they approach a cooling spring. 
 
 They tinkle with the merriest sound 
 As they wash o'er the mossy green. 
 And murmur as they lightly bound 
 And splash upon the rocks between, 
 They sing a lullaby to birds 
 Who dip and drink, — in sweetest words. 
 
 They whisper melodies to trees 
 Who guard them as they plashing flow. 
 And sing, just like the busy bees 
 Who mongst our honeyed flowers go, 
 They beat on peebles for their drum 
 Which gives the queerest little hum. 
 
 * The cool-spring is a provincial term meaning the 
 dam below the spring itself, where the water is 
 caught. 
 
A N D O T H E R CHILD \' E R S E 
 
 Oh, but 'tis sweet to sit and hear 
 Those gentle merry songs they sing, 
 That please the timid birdie's ear 
 The trees, the flowers, everything. 
 I dare not tell of what's their song 
 If you would know — why come alon< 
 When next dear Dad and Jim and I 
 Go up to hear their lullaby. 
 
DADDY S LITTLE GIRL 
 
 GRANDMA. 
 
 I've such a nice dear grandma 
 Whose Httle girl I am, 
 Of course, I'm also Daddy's, 
 But we call her — our "gram." 
 
 She loves to knit me slippers 
 To wear upon my feet. 
 When I must play withindoors, 
 Now, don't you think that's sweet? 
 
 Her hair is gray and silver 
 But pretty as can be, 
 I hope that when I'm hei age 
 I'll be as nice as she. 
 
AND OTHER CHILD VERSE 
 
 AN OCTOBER REMINISCENCE. 
 
 While with a good kind teacher 
 I have been greatly blest, 
 I liked in those evenings, 
 When Daddy taught me, best. 
 
 For then he brought forth chestnuts 
 For me to count and add, 
 And, if I did the sum right, 
 The chestnuts, all, I had. 
 
 But, oh! in the subtraction 
 I took away too many, 
 And when I came for my share • 
 I found I hadn't any. 
 
 So novv^ I'm very careful 
 And take away with care. 
 Lest, when I do these problems, 
 I do not get my share. 
 
DADDY S LITTLE GIRL 
 
 AT CHRISTMAS TIME. 
 
 I can hardly wait till Christmas 
 To see our pretty tree, 
 Trimmed with balls and tinsel 
 And pretty gifts for me. 
 
 For when into my beddie 
 The night before I creep, 
 Hard as I try, no matter, 
 I cannot get to sleep. 
 
 I don't want to scare Santa 
 When chimney-down he comes, 
 With dolls, for me, with dresses 
 For Jimmy — little drums. 
 
 Yet I'm 'fraid in his coming 
 He might get burned quite bad, 
 For flames glow in our fireplace 
 And although I told Dad 
 
AND OTHER CHILD VERSE 
 
 He laughed and said he's fireproof 
 This dear old Santa good, 
 And that I shouldn't worry, 
 But sleep soon as I could. 
 
 And so at length I'm sleepy, 
 But early in the morn, 
 I'm up to see my stocking 
 And blow my new-found horn. 
 
 And march around the table 
 Then see the tree, and play, 
 I only wish that Christmas 
 Came every other day. 
 
DADDY S LITTLE GIRL 
 
 WADING. 
 
 I love within the summer-time 
 To seek a shady nook 
 And take my shoes and stockings off 
 And wade into the brook, 
 
 The water rolls about my feet 
 I feel it coldly run, 
 I kick and splash, and I am sure 
 I never had such fun. 
 
 It's lots of sport when barefoot 
 With shoes and stockings gone, 
 I only do not like it when 
 It's time to put them on. 
 
AND OTHER CHILD VERSE 
 
 COMPANY. 
 
 Whenever we have company 
 I sit up tall and prim, 
 And keep as still as can be 
 While watching brother Jim. 
 
 I eat what's set before me 
 And drink the water slow, 
 And look out for the table-cloth 
 And not spill things below. 
 
 Nor must I feed our doggie, 
 As Dad does on the sly, 
 I don't know why I daren't 
 For he must eat or die. 
 
 I must eat dessert slowly 
 And not ask any more, 
 And only speak when spoken to, 
 Not say a word before. 
 
 Then fold my napkin nicely 
 And wait till all are are done, 
 It's nice when we have company. 
 But nicer when there's none. 
 
DADDY S LITTLE GIRL 
 
 SPRING AND STARS. 
 
 When comes the gentle Spring-time 
 With velvet-dripping rain. 
 And little green buds on our trees, 
 The birds come back again. 
 
 They build up in the tree-boughs, 
 So high, I'm scared lest they 
 Might fall sometime from their nests 
 To where I like to play. 
 
 I wish I, too, with wings could fly 
 Like they do near and far. 
 If I but could, I'd go and see 
 Each dainty little star. 
 
 But as it is, I cannot, 
 And so content must be 
 To sit with Dad on our porch. 
 And let them peep at me. 
 
AND OTHER CHILD VERSE :\ 
 
 THE SWEET PEAS. i 
 
 Out in our sunny garden 
 
 Grow dainty, shy sweet-peas, \ 
 
 Who wear the quaintest dresses \ 
 
 Which Dad calls Japanese. ] 
 
 But when I looked them over \ 
 I changed my mind, I guess, 
 For each one on that morning 
 
 Wore a kimono-dress. i 
 
 i 
 
DADDY S LITTLE GIRL 
 
 SUNDAY EVENINGS. 
 
 On Sunday nights I like it 
 When Dad and I both steal 
 Out to our dear old kitchen 
 To have a pick-up meal. 
 
 And when we thus go out there 
 We sit no special place, 
 We don't wear any napkins, 
 We even don't have grace. 
 
 But eat our little pudding 
 And milk and cake as well, 
 Then comes the very best thing- 
 The stories Dad can tell. 
 
AND OTHER CHILD VERSE 
 
 COASTING. 
 
 When Winter comes, o'er by the barn 
 I take my Httle sled, 
 
 And coast down through the drifts of snow 
 Till both my cheeks are red. 
 
 I dash by Daddy's office, where 
 He likes to work all day, 
 Except the times when he steals out 
 To join me in my play. 
 
 And then he pulls me on my sled 
 With lots of strength and force. 
 Oh, he's so strong ; he really makes 
 The finest kind of horse. 
 
DADDY S LITTLE GIRL 
 
 MAKING A PATH. 
 
 When wild north winds rattle our shutters. 
 And cold frosts our big windowpane, 
 When snow whitens up all our maples, 
 And swirls round again and again, 
 I like to go out with my shovel 
 And dig a big path in the white 
 From the porch to the gate, so that Daddy 
 Will be able to get in all right. 
 
 For oh, it would simply be awful 
 If he should get lost on the way, 
 'Twixt the gate and our big open fireplace, 
 Out there where the tall maples sway, 
 And oh ! how lonesome at evening 
 If he couldn't kiss me as he had. 
 So, you see, that's why I must shovel 
 A path in the snow for my Dad. 
 
 COf 
 
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