"The Old Man Dreams" (1860)
Song and Chorus
Words by G. M. Ballard
Music by Joseph Philbrick Webster, 1819-1875

1.
I'm dreaming a dream, this afternoon,
Of days accounted olden,
When laughter play'd a silver harp,
And youthful smiles were golden.

CHORUS
I'm dreaming a dream
Of the olden time,
When life was smooth
As the poet's rhyme,
When my feet were bare
And my cheeks were brown,
And my heart was light
As the Eider down.

2.
I'm dreaming again, this evening time,
Of her whose love grew stronger---
We're walking down the homestead lane,
While eve'ning shades grow longer.

CHORUS
My daughters I see,
And my little boys---
Those pledges of love
That crown'd my joys;
And the babe comes too,
And we all now meet,
And we kiss them oft---
Oh! my dreams are sweet.

3.
I'm dreaming no more, this lone midnight,
For footsteps give me warning,
That soon I'll hear the stringlatch raise,
And angels say---"Good morning."

I'm dreaming no more
On this lone midnight,
For the embers give
But a feeble light;
And I hear a step in the outer halls---
Good night---good night---
For the angel calls.

CHORUS
I'm dreaming no more,
This cool midnight,
For the embers give
But a feeble light,
And I hear a step
In the outer halls---
Good night, good night,
For the angel calls.