American Old Time Song Lyrics: 09 How Is Your Sister Mary

Theater, Music-Hall, Nostalgic, Irish & Historic Old Songs, Volume 9

HOW IS YOUR SISTER MARY?
Copyright, 1883, by W. M. Madden. Published by permission.

Can you tell me why girls are deceitful?
Why is it that ev'ry young elf,
Should fancy my fat sister Mary,
And allow me to fancy myself?
Should I meet with Tom, Dick or Harry,
No matter how pressing the task,
They'll manage a moment to tarry,
And this is the question they'll ask:

Chorus.
How is your sister Mary?
I hope her health is fair;
How is her pet canary?
Docs she still bang her hair?
The questions never vary,
We hear it everywhere:
How is your sister Mary?
Does she still bang her hair?

Last night we were set in a flutter.
By a rapping we ne'er heard before,
When Mary too utterly utter,
To answer the knock at the door.
I flew through the hall in a hurry,
Queer notions were filling my head, .
I opened the door in a flurry,
When a dude young fellow he said:-Chorus.
Where the Water Lilies Grow.

'Twas in the pleasant Summer time,
I met him all by chance,
The robins sang their sweetest rhyme,
And loving was his glance;
We wandered 'mid the blooming flowers,
He called me sweet and fair,
The queen of all the sunny bowers,
The brightest rosebud there.
Spoken-Oh! he was charming-such a delightful little fellow!
I never can forget-

Chorus.
When we met there by the river,
In the sunlight's merry glow;
For my heart he won forever,
Where the pretty little water lilies grow.

I dream of him where'er I go,
I never can forget
Those eyes that shone with sparkling glow,
The day when first we met;
The lilies will all fade and die,
The birds will fly away;
We can't forget, nor he nor I,
The love we told that day.
Spoken-No! For he begged me just to whisper the little

"Yes."- Chorus.