To Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Filmore, Cincinnati, Ohio.
"Do Not Turn Me From Your Door" (1872)
Song & Chorus
Words and Music by
William Shakespeare Hays, 1837-1907

[Source: 1873-00884@LoC]

1.
Please, ma'am, hear my prayerful pleading,
For my mother's very poor;
I have come to ask a penny,
Do not turn me from your door!
Mother's sick, and weak and feeble,
And she sent me on the street
With my little empty basket,
For we've nothing home to eat!

CHORUS
Please, ma'am, won't you give me something?
I'll not come here any more;
God will bless you, won't you, please, ma'am?
Do not turn me from your door!

2.
Please, ma'am, wait, and let me tell you,
That my father's drown'd at sea,
And my poor heart broken mother
Has no children, ma'am, but me.
Do not spurn me, do not shun me,
I'm a child, and nothing more;
Give me something, if but pity,--
Do not turn me from your door!

(CHORUS)

3.
Please, ma'am, just one moment, listen!
You are rich, and we are poor;
I'll go home and say to mother
That you turned me from your door;
Good bye, we can starve and suffer,
Yet we'll look to God and pray,
That when you go to Him begging,
He'll not turn your sould away.

(CHORUS)