2nd Edition.
To Henry W. Deck Esq.
"Ettie May" (1857)
Ballad
Sung by D. L. Wambold
of Christy & Wood's Minstrels
Composed by John Rogers Thomas, 1830-1896

New York: William Hall & Son, 543 Broadway
Between Spring and Prince Streets.
Boston: Henry Tolman
New Orleans: P. P. Werlein
Louisville: D. P. Faulds
Plate No. 3932
Engraver: Clayton
[Source: @NYPL]

1. In beauty gleam'd the moon last night,
And brightly star lamps shone,
The wind among the linden trees,
Made music sad and lone;
The shadows of the firelight danc'd
Like sprites upon the floor,
As moon and star-ray gently fell
Around the cottage door
With breathings hush'd we sat around
The couch where Ettie lay,
And wept that one so beautiful,
So soon must past away!

2. She wore within her golden hair
A mesh of changeful light,
And mingled with her dark eyes' sheen,
Were spirit-gleams last night;
Upon their light and viewless wings
The angels downward came,
And stole within the cottage door,
And quench'd our love-light flame
So quiet were her slumbers sweet,
On yester eventide,
"We thought her dying when she slept,
And sleeping when she died."