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.