"Pretty Cousin Mary" (16 Sep 1867)
Words by Mrs. Mary Ann Kidder
Music by Henry Tucker, 1826-1882

New York: William A. Pond & Co., 547 Broadway
[Source: pages 20-23 from "Nine O'Clock in the Morning"]

1. SOLO or SEMI-CHORUS [SA]
Early in the morning when the sun was up,
When the zephyrs cool were softly blowing,
Then I went arambling where the buttercup,
The daisies white and Violets were growing,
There I saw dear Mary with here slate and book,
Conning o’er her lesson in a shady nook,
I’ve no time for idling said she with a smile,
If I’d be a scholar I must work the while. Oh!

FULL CHORUS [sung after each verse]
[with overlapping voices]
[SA]
Pretty cousin Mary, busy as a bee,
Her labor is to idle girls a warning,
With scarlet hood and mantle flowing light and free,
She’s off to school so early in the morning! 
[TB]
Tra la la la la la la la la la la la la la la 
la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la.

2. SOLO or SEMI-CHORUS [SA]
Pretty cousin Mary fair as any rose,
With her pleasant face so bright and sunny,
Light as any fairy, in and out she goes,
As busy as a bee in search of honey!
Her voice is as sweet as the robin’s in the tree,
And her songs they are merry as the winds are free,
As she lightly trips along, while the air is cool,
Sweetly singing as she goes to the village school. Oh!

3. SOLO or SEMI-CHORUS
Pretty cousin Mary with her eyes so blue,
And her flowing hair so soft and shining,
She is like the starlight beautiful and true,
Every teacher’s love is round her twining;
She’s tender to the sad, she’s gentle to the poor,
To every childish trouble she’s a sovereign cure
In doing good to others she minds the golden rule,
And every body love her, her in the village school. Oh!