The little toy dog is covered with dust,
But sturdy and staunch he stands;
And the. little toy soldier is red with rust,
And his musket molds in his hands.
Time was when the little toy dog was new,
And the soldier was passing fair.
That was the time when our Little Boy Blue
Kissed them and put them there.
‘Now, don’t you go till I come,” he said,
‘And don’t you make any noise !”
So toddling off to his trundle-bed,
He dreamt of the pretty toys.
And as he was dreaming, an angel song
Awakened our Little Boy Blue!
Oh, the years are many—the years are long;
But the little toy friends are true.
Aye, faithful to Little Boy Blue they stand,
Each in the same old place,
Awaiting the touch of a little hand,
The smile of a little face.
And they wonder, as waiting the long years through,
In the dust of that little chair,
What has become of our Little Boy Blue
Since he kissed them and put them there.
EUGENE FIELD.
NOTE: One purpose sought in good literature is to cause us to think and to wonder - what was the fate of "Little Boy Blue?" It seems the toys were preserved in loving remembrance of a precious son taken early in life? The old adage remains true - "Time stand stills at the end of living." JLO
