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A simple child, dear brother Jim,
That lightly draws its breath,
And feels its life in every limb,
What should it know of death ?

I met a little cottage girl,
She was eight years old, she said ;
Her hair was thick with many a curl
That cluster’d round her head.

She had a rustic, woodland air,
And she was wildly clad;
Her eyes were fair, and very fair,
—Her beauty made me glad.

111

“ Sisters and brothers, little maid,
“ How many may you be ?”
“ How many ? seven in all,” she said,
And wondering looked at me.

“ And where are they, I pray you tell ?”
She answered, “ Seven are we,
“ And two of us at Conway dwell,
“ And two are gone to sea.

“ Two of us in the church-yard lie,
“ My sister and my brother,
“ And in the church-yard cottage, I
“ Dwell near them with my mother.”

“ You say that two at Conway dwell,
“ And two are gone to sea,
“ Yet you are seven ; I pray you tell
“ Sweet Maid, how this may be ?”

112

Then did the little Maid reply,
“ Seven boys and girls are we;
“ Two of us in the church-yard lie,
“ Beneath the church-yard tree.”

” You run about, my little maid,
“ Your limbs they are alive;
“ If two are in the church-yard laid,
“ Then ye are only five.”

“ Their graves are green, they may be seen,’’
The little Maid replied,
“ Twelve steps or more from my mother’s door,
“ And they are side by side.

“ My stockings there I often knit,
“ My ’kerchief there I hem;
“ And there upon the ground I sit—
“I sit and sing to them.

113

“ And often after sunset, Sir,
“ When it is light and fair,
“ I take my little porringer,
“ And eat my supper there.

“ The first that died was little Jane ;
“ In bed she moaning lay,
“ Till God released her of her pain,
“ And then she went away.

“ So in the church-yard she was laid,
“ And all the summer dry,
“ Together round her grave we played,
“ My brother John and I.

“ And when the ground was white with snow,
“ And I could run and slide,
“ My brother John was forced to go,
“ And he lies by her side.”

114

“ How many are you then,’’ said I.
“ If they two are in Heaven ?”
The little Maiden did reply,
“ O Master! we are seven.’’

“ But they are dead ; those two are dead!
“ Their spirits are in heaven !”
’Twas throwing words away; for still
The little Maid would have her will,
And said, “ Nay, we are seven !”