[Cover page:] "Ben Fisher & Wife
or the
Humble Home" (1854)
[Title oage: "Ben Fisher"]
sung by the
A M P H I O N S
[Written and?]
Composed by
T. Wood.

New York, NY: Firth, Pond & Co., 1 Franklin Square
Syracuse, NY: T. Hough
Buffalo, NY: J. Sage & Son
St. Louis, MO: Wakelam & Iucho
Plate No. 2593
Quidor, Engraver
[Source: 022/009@Levy]

1.
Ben Fisher had finished his hard days work,
And he sat at he cottage doorl
His good wife Kate sat by his side,
And the moonlight danc’d on the floor.
The moonlight danc’d on the cottage floor,
Her beams were clear and bright
As when he and Kate twelve years before,
Talked love in her mellow light,
Talked love in her mellow light.

CHORUS 1
The moonlight danc’d on the cottage floor,
Her beams were clear and bright
As when he and Kate twelve years before,
Talked love in her mellow light,
Talked love in her mellow light.

2.
Ben Fisher had never a pipe of clay
And never a dram drank he.
So he loved at home with his wife to stay
And they chatted right merrily,
Right merrily they chatted on,
Her babe slept on her breast;
While a chubby rogue with rosy smile,
On his father’s knee found rest,
On his father’s knee found rest.

CHORUS 2
Right merrily they chatted on,
And her babe slept on her breast
While a chubby rogue with rosy smile,
On his father’s knee found rest,
On his father’s knee found rest.

3.
Ben told her how fast the potatoes grew,
And the corn in the lower fields,
And the wheat on the hills was grown to seed,
And promised a glorious yield.
A glorious yield in the summer time
And his orchard was doing fair,
His sheep and his flock, were in their prime.
His farm all in good repair.
His farm all in good repair.

CHORUS 3
A glorious yield in the summer time
And his orchard was doing fair,
His sheep and his flock, were in their prime.
His farm all in good repair.
His farm all in good repair.

4.
Kate said that her garden looked beautiful,
Her fowls and her calves were fat,
The butter that Tommy, that morning had churned,
Would buy him a sunday hat.
That Jenny for Pa a new shirt had made,
And it was done too, by the rule
That Neddy the garden chould nicely spade
And Ann was up head at school.
And Ann was us head at school.

CHORUS 4
That Jenny for Pa a new shirt had made,
And it was done too, by the rule
That Neddy the garden chould nicely spade
And Ann was up head at school.
And Ann was us head at school.

5.
Ben slowly raised his toilworn hand,
Thro’ his locks of greyish brown;
“I’ll tell you Kate what I think” said he
“We’re the happiest folks in town.”
“I know” said Kate “that we all work hard,
Work and health go together I’ve found,
For there’s Mrs. Bell does not work at all
And she’s sick the whole year round,
And she’s sick the whole year round.

CHORUS 5
“I know” said Kate “that we all work hard,
Work and health go together I’ve found,
For there’s Mrs. Bell does not work at all
And she’s sick the whole year round,
And she’s sick the whole year round.

6.
They are worth their thousands so people say,
But I ne’er saw them happy yet;
’Twould not be me that would take their gold
And live in a constant fret,
My humble home has a light within
Mrs. Bell’s gold could not buy,
Six lovely children, a merry heart,
And a husband’s lovelit eye,
And a husband’s lovelit eye.

CHORUS 6
My humble home has a light within
Mrs. Bell’s gold could not buy,
Six lovely children, a merry heart,
And a husband’s lovelit eye,
And a husband’s lovelit eye.

7.
I fancied a tear was in Ben’s fine eye,
The moon shone brighter and clearer.
I could not tell why the man should cry
But he hitch’d up to Kate still nearer.
He leaned his head on her shoulder there
And he took her hand in his,
And I guess (tho’ I look’d at the moon just then)
That he left on her lips a kiss,
That he left on her lips a kiss.

CHORUS 7
He leaned his head on her shoulder there
And he took her hand in his,
And I guess (tho’ I look’d at the moon just then)
That he left on her lips a kiss,
That he left on her lips a kiss.