Found their dead faces all silent and white;

Then with big tears slowly dropping I said,

"Father's a drunkard and mother is dead."

"'Oh! If the temperance men only could find

Poor, wretched father and talk very kind;

If they would stop him from drinking, then

I should be so very happy again.

Is it too late, temperance men? Please try

Or poor little Bessie must soon starve and die!

All day long I've been begging for bread,—