STEPHEN C .TOSTP, 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 
 
 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
 
NELLY WAS A LADY 
 

 
 ^ J. 
 
 
 M' 
 
 i ' 
 
 iiiii:m,h:,;,ii! .i,;i;ji(iii(i;iiiii;;aiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iii 
 
 :ii:li;i;i:;;::;:iillllllliliTll,.™i;i;;„illiiljlii 
 
NELLY WAS A LADY 
 
 STEPHEN COLLLNS FOSTER 
 
 ILLUSTRATED 
 
 
 
 BOSTON 
 
 TICKNOR AND COMPANY 
 
 211 STrcmont ;Stvcct 
 
 1889 
 

 Copyright, ISSS, 
 By Mrs. Mathew I). Wiley and Mrs. Marion Foster Welsh, 
 
 AND TlCKNOR & CO. 
 
 All ri'jlits rcsci-i'cd. 
 
 Published bv permission of Willl^m A. Pond & Co., joint owners of the Copyright. 
 
 ©intbrrsitg ^Srcss: 
 John W'ilson and Son, Cambridge, U.S.A. 
 
3I^IIu6trattonBi 
 
 FROM NATURE BY CHARLES COPELAND. 
 
 ©vnamcntfi 
 
 By frank MYRICK. 
 
 Drawn, eiip-aved, and friuted inider the supervision of 
 A. V. S. ANTHONY. 
 
~^/lj 
 
 ■'^^^i-, vi lk#i 
 
 '^V^;^-u'^^)»'' ^^ 
 
^^&Si^'"^ ^ 
 

 £^ ;,|f '4\Xii/ 
 
 
NELLY WAS A LADY. 
 
 DOWN on de Mississippi floating, 
 Long time I trabble on de way, 
 All night de cotton-wood a-toting, 
 Sing for my true-lub all de day. 
 
 CHORUS. 
 
 Nelly was a lady, 
 
 Last night she died ; 
 Toll de bell for lubly Nell, 
 
 My dark Virginny bride. 
 
 Now I 'm unhappy and I 'm weeping, 
 Can't tote de cotton-wood no more; 
 
 Last night, while Nelly was a-sleeping. 
 Death came a knockin' at de door. 
 
 Chorus. 
 
 When I saw my Nelly in de morning 
 Smile till she open'd up hej= eyes, 
 
 Seem'd like de light ob day a dawning, 
 Jist 'fore de sun begin to rise. 
 
 Chorus. 
 
 Close by de margin ob de water, 
 Whar de lone weeping-willow grows, 
 
 Dar lib'd Virginny's lubly daughter ; 
 Dar she in death may find repose. 
 
 Chorus. 
 
 Down in de meadow 'mong de clober, 
 Walk wid my Nelly by my side ; 
 
 Now all dem happy days am ober. 
 Farewell, my dark Virginny bride. 
 
 Chorus. 
 
Jliillfty^r'' @n <da ma' 
 
■■MmSMi^Wf^ 
 
 S**!|,^,i. 
 
M^ 
 
 
 V ^ 
 
 
 f '^^ 
 
 j*v- 
 
 >iUiiillli*iiki.'- 
 
 \^ ^C'^i^^^^^ Am 
 
 '7-; 
 
 "a'^ 
 

'^U ^e bell /©i^ luhly M, 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 i/n 
 
lit de d[©@p. 
 

 [Wken 1/aw iw |\|euy 
 
 is\ de i^®pmri 
 
 
,eeM'4 !ike die ll^hA ©b 
 
 ifl Yo)^^^ die. fvr\ 
 
 
 y 
 
'1' ,, f 
 
 
 I 1' 
 
 t r M :i 
 
 HlllU ^ i I ')! 1,1'' 
 
 
 ©b de 
 
 ep. 
 
 ( 
 
 ( ^ n 
 
 .©rva. 
 
 rfl 
 
 ;M 
 
 
 
ap n 
 
 h'd 
 
 
 

 \Urmh:! '' 
 
 
 ^« 'M 
 
^i^^a^f^i^ '■ 
 
 'u:'^ 
 
 
 w^^ ^*. /}^//1#/ ^i^ ©beF, 
 
 bride. 
 

NELLY WAS A LADY, 
 
 Adagio 
 
 
 m 
 
 ^y 
 
 Down on de Mis - sis - eip - pi float 
 
 ^ ^i=?ff^ 
 
 Long time 
 
 
 ^'*^^ 
 
 ■•'■ ^>kr?, 
 
 %" 
 
 ^ 
 
 i'-: , v ' .. ii 
 
 
 s^^M^ 
 
 r ^, 
 
 Nel • ly was 
 
 li - dy- 
 
 ^ fcai](t / \ ^T^ii^ »^ ^16' 
 
 mm^^^^^^0^^m 
 
 Repeat Choruf 
 
 Toll de bell for lub ■ ly Nell — My dark Vir - gin - ny bride. 
 
 m^^^^mm^mmm^^^^kk^i^^m 
 
 Copyright, i888, by willia:i A. Pond and company and Ticknor and Company.—-'?// n's^his reserved.