Love-Songs of Childhood

<p><SPAN name="link2H_4_0035" id="link2H_4_0035"></SPAN></p> <h2> LITTLE ALL-ALONEY </h2> <p>Little All-Aloney's feet<br/> Pitter-patter in the hall,<br/> And his mother runs to meet<br/> And to kiss her toddling sweet,<br/> Ere perchance he fall.<br/> He is, oh, so weak and small!<br/> Yet what danger shall he fear<br/> When his mother hovereth near,<br/> And he hears her cheering call:<br/> "All-Aloney"?<br/> Little All-Aloney's face<br/> It is all aglow with glee,<br/> As around that romping-place<br/> At a terrifying pace<br/> Lungeth, plungeth he!<br/> And that hero seems to be<br/> All unconscious of our cheers&mdash;<br/> Only one dear voice he hears<br/> Calling reassuringly:<br/> "All-Aloney!"<br/> Though his legs bend with their load,<br/> Though his feet they seem so small<br/> That you cannot help forebode<br/> Some disastrous episode<br/> In that noisy hall,<br/> Neither threatening bump nor fall<br/> Little All-Aloney fears,<br/> But with sweet bravado steers<br/> Whither comes that cheery call:<br/> "All-Aloney!"<br/> Ah, that in the years to come,<br/> When he shares of Sorrow's store,&mdash;<br/> When his feet are chill and numb,<br/> When his cross is burdensome,<br/> And his heart is sore:<br/> Would that he could hear once more<br/> The gentle voice he used to hear&mdash;<br/> Divine with mother love and cheer&mdash;<br/> Calling from yonder spirit shore:<br/> "All, all alone!"<br/></p> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />