"Darling Ella" (20 May 1869)
Words by Luke Collin
Music by Joseph Philbrick Webster, 1819-1875

Chicago, IL: Root & Cady
Iconographer: Kimball
Plate No. 5571
[Source: am1235@Mills]

1. 
The weary mournful autumn wind, 
Was through the garden sighing, 
The orchard leaves were rustling down. 
And summer blossoms dying; 
With out, the coming winter’s breath. 
And swallows homeward flying, 
Within, upon her couch of death 
Our darling one was lying.

CHORUS [sung after each verse]
Darling Ella, loved so dearly, 
Thou hast pass’d the fabled stream; 
Angels guard thee, Heaven bless thee, 
Life for thee was but a dream.

2. 
The rose that bloomed in early June, 
Was not so sweet a flower, 
Nor yet so sweet the clinging vine, 
That climbed the leafy bower. 
Long hours we watched beside her bed, 
And prayed that life be given, 
But angels hovered o’er her head, 
And won the child to Heaven.

3. 
We calmly bow to His decree, 
Who all our blessings giveth, 
And in our inmost souls we know, 
That still our darling liveth; 
For unseen hands caress our hair, 
Remembered songs rejoice us, 
We hear soft footfalls on the stair, 
And round us angel voices.

4. 
With gentle hands and broken hearts, 
Our cherished hope resigning, 
We laid the pure cold form to rest, 
The while the sun was shining; 
“O, mocking sun,” we sadly cried, 
“To smile on Death’s dark portal,” 
But soft the whisp’ring breeze replied, 
“The spirit is immortal.”