Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, BABY IN CHURCH, by MINNIE M. GOW


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

BABY IN CHURCH, by                    
First Line: Aunt nellie had fashioned a dainty thing
Last Line: Ere our baby re-enter the family pew.
Subject(s): Babies; Public Worship; Infants; Church Attendance


AUNT NELLIE had fashioned a dainty thing
Of hamburg and ribbon and lace,
And mamma had said, as she settled it round
Our Baby's beautiful face,
Where the dimples play and the laughter lies
Like sunbeams hid in her violet eyes, --
"If the day is pleasant, and Baby is good,
She may go to church and wear her new hood."

Then Ben, aged six, began to tell,
In elder-brotherly way,
How very, very good she must be
If she went to church next day.
He told of the church, the choir, and the crowd,
And the man up in front who talked so loud;
But she must not talk, nor laugh, nor sing,
But just sit as quiet as anything.

And so, on a beautiful Sabbath in May,
When the fruit-buds burst into flowers
(There wasn't a blossom on bush or tree
So fair as this blossom of ours),
All in her white dress, dainty and new,
Our Baby sat in the family pew.
The grand, sweet music, the reverent air,
The solemn hush, and the voice of prayer,

Filled all her baby soul with awe,
As she sat in her little place,
And the holy look that the angels wear
Seemed pictured upon her face.
And the sweet words uttered so long ago
Came into my mind with a rhythmic flow, --
"Of such is the kingdom of heaven," said He,
And I knew He spake of such as she.

The sweet-voiced organ pealed forth again,
The collection-box came around,
And Baby dropped her penny in,
And smiled at the chinking sound.
Alone in the choir Aunt Nellie stood,
Waiting the close of the soft prelude,
To begin her solo. High and strong
She struck the first note; clear and long

She held it, and all were charmed, but one
Who, with all the might she had,
Sprang to her little feet and cried,
"Aunt Nellie, you's being bad!"
The audience smiled, the minister coughed,
The little boys in the corner laughed,
The tenor shook like an aspen-leaf,
And hid his face in his handkerchief.

And poor Aunt Nellie could never tell
How she finished that terrible strain,
But says nothing on earth could tempt
Her to go through the scene again.
So we have decided, perhaps't is best,
For her sake, and ours, and all the rest,
That we wait, may be a year or two,
Ere our Baby re-enter the family pew.





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