Christie's Poor Old Gran

No green age, beautiful to see,
Hath Poor Old Gran!
No ripe life mellowed goldenly
Hath Poor Old Gran!
One by one we have left her fold,
Her lonely hearth is growing cold,
Faint is her smile as the primrose gold,
Our Poor Old Gran!

Ah! whitened face, and withered form,
Of Poor Old Gran!
Beaten and blanched in many a storm:
Poor Old Gran!
She hath wept the bitter tears that sow
The dark grave-violets in the snow
Where once the red young rose did glow!
Poor Old Gran!

There's few have lived a harder lot,
Poor Old Gran!
But she toiled on and murmured not;
Poor Old Gran!
For us she toiled on starvingly,
And fought the wolf of poverty;
Upon her heart's blood suckled me,
Our Poor Old Gran!

Her river of life hath roughly rolled;
Poor Old Gran!
A Wreck lies dark, its tale untold,
Poor Old Gran!
Yet shall her old heart laugh with ye,
My Bird's-nest in the mouldering tree!
And soft in heaven the bed shall be
For poor Old Gran!

The grip of Poverty is grim;
Poor Old Gran!
Lusters of lip and eye will dim;
Poor Old Gran!
But through the frailty of her face
There gleams a light of tender grace,
Or else I see through a tearful haze
Poor Old Gran!

You came in all our sorrowings,
Poor Old Gran!
How your weakness hurried on wings,
Poor Old Gran!
You stood at Bridal, Birth, and Bier:
Our darlings dead and gone seem near
When you are near, and make more dear
Our Poor Old Gran!

So come to our Cottage up the lane,
Poor Old Gran!
Follow our fortune's harvest-wain,
Poor Old Gran!
We'll shelter you from wind and rain,
Hunger you shall not know again,
Plenty shall smile away your pain,
Poor Old Gran!

And little laughing Stars shall rise
On Poor Old Gran!
In the clear heaven of Childhood's eyes,
For Poor Old Gran!
Wee fingers, stroking her gray hair,
Shall almost melt the hoarfrost there,
Wee lips shall kiss away the care
From Poor Old Gran!

So come and sit beside our hearth,
Poor Old Gran!
Come from the darkness and the dearth,
Poor Old Gran!
And you shall be our fireside guest,
And weary heart and head will rest;
And your last days shall be your best,
Our Poor Old Gran.