A LACE HANDKERCHIEF

 

                    JUST A GIRL WHEN SHE MARRIED                      THE LACE HANDKERCHIEF ...

...IT WAS A TATTERED LACE HANKY

YELLOWED NOW WITH AGE,

SHE'D PLACED IT THERE IN HER BIBLE

THE REASON WRITTEN ON A CERTAIN PAGE.

SHE CARRIED IT TO CHURCH

IN HER BIBLE EVERY SUNDAY,

IT HAD BEEN GIVEN TO HER

BY HER HUSBAND RAY.

JUST A GIRL WHEN SHE MARRIED

BACK IN EIGHTEEN SIXTY-TWO,

SHE HAD BEEN SO HAPPY

AS THEY STOOD THERE SAYING "I DO."

THEN WAR CAME T0 THE SOUTH

RAY DECIDED TO GO AWAY,

HE LOOKED SO HANDSOME

RIDING ON HIS GRAY HORSE THAT DAY.

SHE WAS BARELY SIXTEEN

HE WAS SEVENTEEN - A MITE OLDER,

TOLD HIS DAD - HE'D PROTECT THE PLANTATION

HE WAS A REBEL - A BIT BOLDER.

SHE STOOD THERE ON THE STEPS

WISHING HE WOULD NOT GO,

SHE ASKED GOD TO WATCH OVER HIM

BRING HIM BACK HOME IN A MONTH OR SO.

SHE CRIED MOST EVERY NIGHT

USING THE HANKY TO DRY HER TEARS,

WHEN SHE HEARD THE WAGON COME

SHE KNEW THE ANSWER TO HER FEARS.

YES, WHEN RAY DID RETURN

THEY HAD TO PLACE HIM IN THE GROUND,

NEIGHBORS CAME FROM FAR AND NEAR

KINFOLKS GATHERED ALL AROUND.

NOW SHE WAS SAD AND ALONE

A YOUNG GIRL GROWING OLD,

THE VERSE IN THE BIBLE

THE SCRIPTURE MUST BE TOLD.

IN ECCLESIASTES THE BIBLE SAYS

"A TIME TO BE BORN AND A TIME TO DIE,"

GOD HAD CHOSEN THIS BRAVE YOUNG SOLDIER

SO NO USE FOR HER TO CONTINUE TO CRY.

RAY WANTED TO GO FIGHT THE YANKEES

MAKE THEM LEAVE THAT VERY DAY,

BUT WE ALL KNOW THE CIVIL WAR STORY

FOR TWO MORE YEARS THEY CONTINUED TO STAY.

SHE SLEPT WITH THAT SOILED HANKY

HER COMPANION EVERY NIGHT,

HER YOUNG HUSBAND HAD LEFT HER

FOR A CAUSE HE BELIEVED WAS RIGHT.

THIS ONCE LOVELY YOUNG LADY

HOLDING HER SWEETHEART'S HAND,

HAD TO GIVE HIM UP FOREVER

SHED HIS BLOOD FIGHTING FOR SOUTHERN LAND. 

EMILY IN NOW EIGHTY-TWO

SHE IS GROWING OLD,

SO WHEN SHE DEPARTS THIS LIFE

IN HER HAND THE HANKY SHE WILL HOLD.