Class, P 5 ^?) 5 4 
 
 Book. 
 
Transferred ffigm 
 JUN 1 b 13S0 
 
( rip>-l<^ 
 
THE 
 
 Wooing of Grandmother Grey 
 
 BY 
 
 KATE TANNATT WOODS 
 
 1 1 1 a ?, t P a t e d 
 
 BOSTON 
 LEE AND SHEPARI) PUBLISHERS 
 
 lo MILK STREET 
 1S94 
 
Copyright, 1SS9 
 By lee and SHEPARD 
 
 The Wooing of Grandmother Grey 
 
 KoclituEll anU tCijurcijiU 
 
 BOSTON 
 
 

 im 
 
 
 THE-PRAMIHGS-ARC-DY 
 
 Charles • corcLAND" 
 
 ■ARC-AADC-DY-THC 
 
 w 
 
THE WOOING OF GRANDMOTHER GREY 
 
 It was Christinas Eve, and the stockings hung 
 
 In varied hues before tiie tire. 
 
 And grandmother's {■cclth' swung and sinig, 
 
 As the spaiks flew higii and (lie smuke r(ise higher. 
 
"I was tliiiikin". Jaljez." .saiil riiaiicliiintlicr (irew 
 "IIdw it all was so loiio' ueo, 
 WliL'u you lived with your fatiier milt's away. 
 And the yi-ouud was covered witli lieaps of snow. 
 
 ^■f 
 
 "Then Christmas was very different, you kimw 
 I was young-, and fair to see. 
 And, .Tabez. you didn"t mind rain or snow 
 Wlien you came a-conrtin" me. 
 
 11 
 
s,- 
 
 4 ■ 
 
"One night, laiiil sakes. I ivnieinlier it well, — 
 It was on a ( 'liiistiiias Eve. — 
 Von said •vtui had a story tn tell,' 
 And I thoLiirlit it make l)elie\e. 
 
 " Yon tniik fruni your imrkct this little ring, 
 It -was larger then a sight. 
 And you trieil it on nrv linger. \i>u know ; 
 Shall I ever tui-get that night'.' 
 
 "Oh, I was piriiid as a girl oould he; ■ 
 I had never a ring before. 
 
 And I wanted to cry and I wanted to laugh, 
 When rjransir opened tlie dour. 
 
 13 
 
 
i|i straight as straiL;-lil coillil \h'. 
 
 'IcikIimI IM (1i'i)[)]i('(1 a stitcli 
 III tlir old lilue ^st()ckill' that laid cm iii\- knee. 
 And \iiu L;ave vour chair a hitch. 
 
 "(Ti-aiisir he coughed a little, yim kimw. 
 And my cheeks was red as tire. 
 And he said, as nat'ral as natural ronhl he, 
 ^\ni\ hain't seen notliin" of Miali?" 
 
"And you said • Xc : " but still I hluslied. 
 And I "most lilnwod nut his liu'lit. — 
 A cuudli' lie held ill his deaf did hand: 
 Oh, I shan't tui-o-et that uioht ! 
 
 1!) 
 
"He went ilnwii crlhir lo lill Ids muiij. 
 All striped with yellow and Idiie. 
 -Vud 1 said, to rover uw liluslies up. 
 'Hold on: ni -o down' t.H." 
 
 '•We filled the iiuig with cider old, 
 And my apron with a]iples red, 
 
 iir you and I to eat upstaii-s, 
 When the old folks went to hed. 
 
 21 
 
I ri^ ' VVlII tlie ( 1 1 tolks went : ami ycm iiiul I 
 '^'i'jjM^ ' "^"t tlieie b) the open fire, 
 
 A_ii(l I \\ uited to sorter laiio-h ami erv 
 
 M* * '■) 4 When -\ou lutLlied your eliair up nigher. 
 
 ''-'■!• Mr'/-,..- 
 
 "We ate our apples and poppi^l our corn 
 Avid talked ol' tlie sin^iii'-scluM 
 And I hardly knew a \\drd I said, 
 And acted just like a fool. 
 
IN .■p-. 
 
 
 '• Viid tlien wbeii \ ou kiinlly tcjok 1113- hand, 
 To '5ee if the luig was right. 
 YdU kissed It, .Tal)ez, — a-hu know you did: 
 Ah, I can't hirget that night ! 
 
 "I tivinhled so, and my lieart it thumped 
 Like it wanted to get awa}-, 
 And you looked in my eyes so kind and nice, 
 And said, • Wduld I name tlie day?' 
 
f^^ 
 
 .r' 
 
 Am 
 
f' ^i 
 
 <r 
 
 xi 
 
 r 
 
 I 
 
 "I was scare'(l clear tlirdui^ii. I coiililift speak: 
 I felt so mean, you see. 
 
 That I liailiTt the sit;ii of a ]ireseiit for you, 
 ,\'iijl .\u(l \du had oin' for mi'. 
 
 ,_^ ., j^-^—'-Ji (Vy^i '''^"^ ' '^j<*^^ I •■Well, .laljez. you loo]<eil so kiml auil stron 
 ■"^^5*^1* ^ '' ''J\ 'J' - "'■ .jl^ I ' eoul(lii"t help likin" \n\\ too: 
 
 ll'l' A "^\iMt''"'^).[%i lint I was youii-. ami' 1 thou-'ht it wrous. 
 
 ,M-^^ i-^ .''ll/^yil^^^tlfei 'i'" niarrv a man like vou. 
 
 ^ ((./ ■■/ 
 
 Lik 
 
 e a o-( i( )sc 
 
 said. • It is Christmas E\-e, 
 
 I And it kind of feels like sn<i\v ; 
 
 \'ou must wra[i your ti[ipet up warru and tight 
 liefore you have to go." 
 
 •••I know it is Christmas Eve,' says you, 
 A.S ^iroud as jiroud eould he: 
 'But ril stay here, however you hint, 
 Till you premise to uuu-iv nie.' 
 
 L".1 
 
/j "I was sciired worse than ever, but up I spoke ' '^ -^ 
 ■f 'I wish I'll a [iresent for you 
 
 yI And you was so pert I thought I wonhl I'hoke ; §['-'■ 
 \. ?i lou sauL, *1 must give you two. 
 
 ;| "'And one." — oh, you had sucli a masterful way, — | 
 
 f ' (_)ne was a kiss,' you said, i 
 
 4 'And tlie other, to name our weddin" ihiv, i 
 
 I Then you would go limne to hed.' fj' 
 
 31 
 

 W^'W^^'^^TT 
 
 
 
 
"It was awful tryiu', — you see I was sliy : 
 I could kiss my old dad, and the boys, 
 But you, I couldn't no ways in the world ; 
 Besides, it might make a noise. 
 
 "My little heart iluttered and danced up and diiwn, 
 Like a puddin' in mother's old pot. 
 And my hands trembled awful, I couldn't Imilv up. 
 And niv cheeks was just blazin' luir. 
 
 "■ Well,' says you, -Jerusha. if that is your way, 
 rU take what you'll not give : ' 
 And you kissed rae over and over again ; 
 You did. as sure as you live. 
 
 "It is years ago, and this nld ring is worn; 
 Of trouble, we've seen a sight ; 
 But, Jabez, somehow I'm always young 
 When I sit and think of that night. 
 
"Tt i.s kind in the rliildren to give us tliis room, 
 Witii a few of nuv <leav old things. 
 And the open fire, and tlie andirons too, 
 \nd till kettle that always sings. 
 
 .''JAJr-' ' I "V-'ilz- 
 
 " I wanted their stoekin"s all hung u[i here 
 Their presents, so rich and fine, 
 Won't gladden their little hearts as much 
 .Vs this old ring gladdened mine. 
 
 3.-. 
 
•1 II I m,f 'i^'ri|iiiiii|i<niiiii'iiiiiiiiiiiHiiir< "b^ia. 
 
 ^1^ 
 
 mi 
 
 
 T 
 
 m, 
 
 'kc^"> 
 
 •• We will hear their shouts in the early morn, 
 Long, long before it is light : 
 Rut, Jahez, we must not iniud, you know; 
 We will lidth renieuilier that uiq-ht." 
 
 37 
 
New Year's iiKuiiino- caiiu'. and Graiidmother ( 
 Was silent, and pale, and cold; 
 Just as the old ^-ear faded away, 
 The 3'ears of her life were told. 
 
 The children were there, with tears in their eyes : 
 The parents were whispering low, 
 " May our hearts lie as 3'oiing and pure as hers, 
 When we are called to g-o." 
 
 On one wrinkled hand was the old, old ring, 
 Thin, \Aori], and didl to the siglit ; 
 On the wrinkled face was a smile of peace : 
 She hegan a New Year that niglit.