Old Rodman
A rich man hard and cold
None ever saw him friendly
But all knew of his gold.
He’s lived there many years
now
With servants all alone
His face is always scowling
His heart is hard as stone.
Some tell a tale of sorrow
That many years ago
When cold December’s skies
were gray
And grounds were white with
snow
In a cabin on a hillside
A mother dying lay
Beside her stood a boy of
ten
And on the floor at play.
A blue-eyed baby three years
old
Looks up with wondering eyes
What makes Dear Mother lay
so still?
What makes Big Brother cry?
“Mothers gone to heaven”
The boy stooped down and
said
She’s happy now with father
But folks will say she’s
dead.
She told me to take care of
you
To teach you to be true
And then some day we’ll go
to them
Up in the sky so blue.
The baby takes a tiny hand
And wipes a tear from
Brothers eye.
And says, “If Mother Dear is
happy now
Dear Brother don’t you cry.
“I’ll grow up big and keep
your house
And we’ll together stay
And that will please Dear
Mother
When she looks down this
way”
Alas! For Baby’s hopes and
plans
The neighbors came that day
They said, “A boy of ten can
work
But Baby we’ll take away.
We’ll take her to the orphan
home.
There she’ll be treated well
Some one may adopt her –
A rich man – who can tell,”
In vain were Brothers
pleadings
They took the child away
A widow soon adopted her
He saw her last that day.
The lad did work, and when
at last
A man he’d grown to be
He bought the house on State
Street
“I’ll make her a home,” said
he
I’ll search this wide world
over
My Sister I will find
And this big house one State
Street
Shall be her home and mine.
Alas for Brother’s hopes and
plans
Alas for home and hearth
For it seemed that Baby
Sister
Had vanished from the earth.
At last with heart grown
weary
Of search with no reward
He settled down on State
Street
And let his heart grow hard.
II.
A ragged shivering newsboy
One paper left to sell
Accosts Old Rodman on the
street
“Buy it sir, and I’ll do
well”
Yes, I’ll take home to
Mother
Milk and a loaf of bread
And Little Gracie shall have
both
Before she goes to bed.”
The prattling of the newsboy
Seems to awake a spark
Of pity and love for the
needy
Buried deep in Old Rodman’s
heart.
He gives some coins to the
urchin
Go buy your needs he said
Hurry them home to your
Mother
So Gracie can go to bed.
“Then hurry, I’ll wait at
this corner
We’ll go to the shop and
find
Every toy that a boy of your
age could want
‘Tis a Christmas whim of
mine.”
The small boy hurries
homeward
But returns with slower
tread
“Sir, I thank you for the
offered toys
But I’d rather have
something instead.
Gracie is only a baby
You see she is only three
She hasn’t any shoes to wear
Daddy is dead you see.
I can only sell enough
papers
To buy our daily bread
Mother’s not strong and most
everyday
She has to keep to her bed.
If it’s all the same to you
Sir
We’ll just buy shoes for
Grace
I know it will surprise them
And ‘twill brighten Dear
Mothers face.
I didn’t know what size
she’d wear
So I brought her picture to
tell
I think if you’ll just look
you’ll know
What size will fit her well.
Old Rodman takes the picture
Half-regretting his generous
nod
He gives a glance to the
Baby
Is it possible? Oh Dear God!
‘Tis a face like Baby Sister
He lost long years ago
“Quick boy show me where you
live
Oh child don’t be so slow”
Well, yes, you have guessed
the secret
He is uncle to Little Grace
Her Mother’s his long lost
sister
But, look at Old Rodman’s
face.
The long-worn scowl is
forgotten
Yes of course he took them
home
And the big empty house on
State Street
Is no longer just cold gray
stone.