Familiar Songs - Their Authors & Histories

300 traditional songs, inc sheet music with full piano accompaniment & lyrics.

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	THE BETTER LAND.		620
	I hear thee speak of the better land, Thou caH'st its children a happy band; Mother, oh ! where is that radiant shore? Shall we not seek it and weep no more ? Is it where the flower of the orange blows, And th« fire-flies dance in the myrtle boughs ? Not th*>re ! not there ! my child. Is it where the feathery palm trees rise, And the date grows ripe under sunny skies, Or midst the green islands of glittering seas, Where fragrant forests perfume the breeze, And strange bright birds on their starry wings Wear the rich hues of all glorious things ? Not there ! not there ! my child.	Is it far away in some region old, Where the rivers wander o'er sands of gold, And the burning rays of the ruby shine, And the diamond lights up the secret mine? And the pearl glows forth from the coral strand, Is it there, sweet mother, that better land ? Not there ! not there ! my child. Eye hath not seen it, my gentle boy, Ear hath not heard its sweet songs of joy; Dreams cannot picture a world so fair, Sorrow and death may not enter there, Time may not breathe on its fadeless bloom; For beyond the clouds and beyond the tomb, It is there ! it is there ! my child.
	THERE'S NOTHING TRUE BUT HEAVEN. This most familiar of all semi-religious songs is one of Tom Moore's " Sacred Melo­dies."! should have been glad to include in this collection much fine and well-known sacred music; but it was impossible to enter that great field of song, from which enough for a separate volume would have to be taken.