"The Snow Storm" (1843)
Written by Selba Smith, 1792-1868
Composed by Lyman Heath, 1804-1870

[Source: pp. 306-8, reprinted in "The Parlour Song Book"]

1.
The cold wind swept the mountain's height,
  And pathless was the dreary wild,
And 'mid the cheerless hours of night
  A mother wandered with her child;
As through the drifted snows she pressed,
  The babe was sleeping on her breast,
  The babe was sleeping on her breast.

2.
And colder still the winds did blow,
  And darker hours of night came on,
And deeper grew the drifts of snow--
  Her limbs were chilled, her strength was gone;
'O God!' she cried, in accents wild,
  'If I must perish, save my child,
  If I must perish, save my child!'

3.
She stript her mantle from her breast,
  And bared her bosom to the storm;
As round the child she wrapped the vest,
  She smiled to think that it was warm.
With one cold kiss, one tear she shed,
  And sunk upon a snowy bed,
  And sung upon a snowy bed.

4.
At dawn, a traveller passed by,
  And saw her 'neath a snowy veil--
The frost of death was in her eye,
  Her cheek was cold, and hard, and pale--
He moved the robe from off the child;
  The babe looked up, and sweetly smiled,
  The babe looked up, and sweetly smiled.