DEAR Nanny in her Christmas hood With fluffy swansdown round the face, Wearing her pretty Christmas gown And little frill of dainty lace, Came with her mother into church, on Christmas Eve, with timid grace. Dear Nanny sat there in her pew, The Christmas-greens with music stirred, The choir sang like a nest of larks, But never once she caught a word. For she was singing to herself, and hers was all the song she heard. "My muff, my hood!" dear Nanny sang, "My coat, my dress, my golden ring, My waxen doll, my picture-book, My stocking full of everything "— So sang the sober little maid, so softly no one heard her sing. O sweetly carolled forth the choir Their Christmas songs, and never knew How, in her little simple tune Which after all was just as true, A-sitting meekly down below dear little Nanny carolled too.
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