The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-27
THE BYE-BYE CHAIR.
Holman pay, in Persons.

AA0AAiiAAt lay III -
The reign o. dad is the dusky region;
mother may hold the throne
All the day, but, tea away, daddy
comes into his own.
Ohio then, crown o. the tasseled cap,
robe o. the dressing gown!
I'm king at night by honest right,
though a slave to trade down
town.
What news is this by Courier Cat?
One marching to destroy2
Invasion led by one o. rank--by En-
peror Billyboy?
Again it's proved my kingly crown
is parlous thing to wear.
Here's siege and scaling, rout and sack
of Fortress Easy Chair.
And now. retreatl My kingly rusel
The sofa citadel.
What? Mined beneath? Then up
white flag! To kingly hopes fare
Hold, bombarding cushion host, l
yield to puissant Bill.
The emperor has won tonight! /
live to do his will.
The Victors terms? Nor harsh are
they; a kiss, a toss or two.
My tyrant, these.I gladly yield to such
lord as you.
Now, crib! What, no? Your mothers
arms? l grant the boon with joy,
Ho, up the stair! Good queen pre-
pare! Here's Emperor Billy-boy.
May l sit down in Slumber-town and
listen to the tunes
That mother voice in cadence soft
and tender accents croons?
Let me sit down in this dear realm
whose throne is built so fair
The throne no man may e'er dispute
a mothers Bye-Bye Chair.
I'm hungry for the quaint old songs,
old lullabies, my dear!
The Now is dim, the Then shines clear
as l am list'ning here.
| feel the clasp of mother arms come
round me in the gloom,
seem to hear another voice within
this hallowed room,
The thrill of old-time melodies is in
that mystic sound,
The sanctity of old-time love encom-
passeth me round.
The World at times has beat me back
in battles / have fought,
Not always has the god Success touch
ed tasks in which ] wrought;
Full oft has Fortune dealt a blow in
stead of bent to bless,
And heartache followed close upon
the heels of happiness.
But often when solemn song OF woe
my heart intoned,
And often when the spirit wrthed and
all my nature grOaned,
Then stole refrain that softened pain,
not phrased by mortal tongue.
But born of mem'ries old and sweet
the songs my mother sung
When in the dusk she held me close
and gently stroked my hair,
And bore me with her down to Sleep
in that old Bye-Bye Chair.
My boyhood's friend went wrong to-
day; the same old story, dear!
| Temptation, yielding, sin and fall And
thoughtless worldlings sneer!
| But l who sit here by your side and
hear you sing tonight,
| And gaze behind me on the years with
love and faith alight.
| I do not pride my faltring feet upon
the race they've made,
But search my heart and bless the part
that mother love has played.
know he lacked the mother hands
that fondly press and mold,
l know he lacked the mother smile
that turns the dross to gold
And at the crossroads where the tracks
of Right and Wrong are dim
There was no shining mother light to
point the way to him.
| The callous cynics of the world gage
sin by what is done,
But / can measure life By love of
mother TO her son:
And God, who knows the human neart,
has mercy, dear. to spare
To him whose soul-strength was not
won in mothers Bye Bye Chair.
| Sleep, little boy-my Billy-boy! The
World is just outside.
| It does not fight the pillow fight; It's
stern in wrath and pride.
| Its blows are blows that shiver
strength: 1t smiles to see fall;
Ii does not pity idle tears nor heed a
craven's call.
Yet victory is not to him who wantonly
gives pain, ~
Who wrests their weapons from the
weak and tramples on the slain. .
For chivalry, it is not dead, nor honor
but a name,
And bitter scorn be need of him who
brings his mother shame.
Yet he who, barking back to youth,
goes forth and nobly tries
| To color life TO match the light that
shines from mothers eyes,
| And he who with his earnest faith his
after life attunes
| To those old songs of honest love his
mother softly croons.
| Nav walk adown the ways of Life
and in his daily prayer
Thank God that all his best was born
in that old Bye-Bye Chair.