To Miss Ada Dudley
"By the Brook" (1873)
Song
Words by George W. Hows
Music by John Rogers Thomas, 1830-1896

New York: William A. Pond & Co., 547 Broadway
Chicago: Root & Lewis
San Francisco: M. Gray
St. Paul: Weide & Ross
Pittsburg: H. Kleiber & Bro.
Milwaukee: H. N. Hempsted
Savanna: Ludden & Bates
San Jose: A. Waldtiurel
Houstin: E. H. Cushing
New Haven: Skinner & Sperry
Plate No. 8458
[Source: @NYPL]

1. How gaily it sparkles by,
How blithely it speeds along
And sings as it lifts to the sky
Its sweetly melodious song,
  Its sweetly melodious song. 
How it splashes! and dashes!
And standing there sweet little sprite is Minnie, Minnie, 
Vision of light.

2. The sun plays over her hair,
The breeze with a tender caress,
Kisses her cheek so fair
And toys with the folds of her dress,
  And toys with the folds of her dress.
How it prances! and dances!
And Minnie, with sparkling eye smiles, smiles,
As it passes by.

3. The fishes play in the stream,
But stop just to gaze awhile--
And think it is all a dream
As they sun themselves under her smile,
  And sun themselves under her smile.
How they glide! and slide!
And Minnie she laughs aloud to the merry, merry,
To the merry crowd.

4. I would that I were the air,
Or a fish for a little while,
That I might play with her hair
Or bask in the light of her smile,
  Or bask in the light of her smile.
Or a sunbeam whose dream
Would be forever the same to shine, shine,
On this fair little dame.