Songs, Recitations and Poems (Pages 60-63)

Pages 60 - 63

Performed by the children at the fair

CHILDREN'S GREETING. - CARRIE LOWE.

A hazy mist in air and sky
   Makes all the landscape mellow:
The grapes are purple on the hills, 
   The tasseled corn is yellow.
The aftermath of clover fields 
   A dark green ground is lending 
To set the rosy wreaths of fruit
   With which the trees are bending.
And the sumach and the maples 
   Shake out their scarlet banners, 
Inviting men in glade and glen.
   To join their glad hosannas.

We come responsive to the call,
   With joy and loud thanksgiving
For the blessings of a Christian land, 
   For the dear delight of living! 
For kindly deeds and words of cheer,
   For the smiling skies above us,
For all the store that autumn yields, 
   For friends at home who love us.

To you who make the Children's Fair 
   To us so great a pleasure,
We give our hearty, grateful thanks
   No words of ours can measure,
Your kindly words and pleasant smiles,
   And our humble efforts lending,
We hope to give this harvest feast
    A bright and happy ending.

THE MISSION OF BOYS. - GEORGE BAYLEY.

From out the ranks of noble men.
   Who firm for truth and right have stood 
They are being called, as the years go by,
   To come up higher and dwell with God.

We are pressing on to fill the ranks, 
   The world needs brave men for the fight 
That is waging still, from age to age, 
   Forevermore 'twixt Wrong and Right.

With courage true and purpose high, 
   Where they have fallen we will stand,
Till Righteousness and Truth prevail, 
   And earth becomes Immanuel's land.

WHAT SOME OF THE BOYS THINK. - Six of the Older Boys.

First Boy.

When I am a farmer
   I won't growl at the weather 
But believe that the Lord
   Take it all together 
Knows better than I do 
   How to manage the weather.

From spring-time till harvest 
   I won't keep complaining
That there'll be no corn 
   If it don't leave off raining, 
And no hay if it does, 
   And so keep on complaining.

And I'll honor the Lord 
   With the fruits of my labor,
Share the good things He gives 
   With my more needy neighbor, 
And so give Him thanks, 
   Who gives strength to labor.

Second Boy.

When I'm a merchant 
   I'll take every pains
To add to my fortune 
   By square, honest gains. 
I shall tell all my clerks
   To have but one price, 
Add no sand to the sugar,
   Nor stones to the rice. 
And no smoke in my store
   From a dirty cigar, 
My teas or my coffee,
   Or butter shall mar.

Third Boy.

When I'm a doctor
   And to sick beds hie 
I won't wear a long face,
   And draw a long sigh, 
And make people think
They are going to die. 
   I'll tell them I don't think
They'll be very ill
   If they'll drink down my bitters 
And swallow a pill,
   And I'll make them believe
They are going to get well. 
   Unless they're past cure 
And then I will tell.

Fourth Boy.

When I'm a minister, 
   I'll say, now and then, now
A few words to the children,
   As well as to men.
For it's awfully hard 
   To sit days and days
And not understand 
   A word a man says!
And I'll speak to each sinner 
   So clear and so plain, 
He won't think I mean it
   For some other man.
For myself, as for others, 
   My sermons I'll preach, 
And myself try to practice
   Whatever I teach.

Fifth Boy.

When I'm a teacher
   I won't say at once. 
That a boy who is dull
   Is taught but a dance. 
The big boys and girls
   I won't flatter and coax, 
And be stern and severe
   To the wee, little folks. 
I'll remember that I
  Was little folks" 
And couldn't remember 
   But wasn't a dunce. once,

Sixth Boy.

When I am an editor 
   I won't write a puff 
For each man who offers
   Me money enough. 
To the good and deserving
   I'll try to give praise, 
But I'll never help bad men
   In their crooked ways. 
By using my pen
   In defence of the right 
I shall help banish error
   And put wrong to flight.

Children’s Fair - 2017

James Roger diary entry

15th August 1913

Fair and warm; wind westerly. David at Store. I picked 6 chickens and got Hall ready for Historical Society party, which broke up at 11 p.m.

Upcoming Event

163rd Children’s Fair - August 17, 2024

• New Ipswich Congregational Church

• 150 Main Street, New Ipswich, NH

• 10 AM - 3 PM

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