My darling little Bess;
And you ha' been to the store to-day,
To buy your weddin'-dress;
And so your dear good mother an' I,
Whose love you long have known,
Must lay the light o' your presence by,
And walk the road alone.
So come to-night, with mother and me,
To the porch for an hour or two,
And sit on your old father's knee,