[Page 1]
Florelda's Tragedy
1
(1)
Down
by the weeping willow,
Where the violet sweetly
blooms,
There lies my dear
Florelda,
2(2)
She died not broken hearted,
Nor sickness caused her
death,
But in one moment parted
From the one
she loved so true.
(3)
One night, as the
moon shone brightly,
The stars were shining too,
Into a lonely cottage,
A jealous lover
came.
(4)
Said he, "Now let us ramble
Into some flowery dell,
And there we'll sit and
chatter,
To plan our wedding day."
(5)
"The road is dark and dreary,
And I'm afraid
to go,
So let us retrace our footsteps,
And
go by another road."
(6)
"No! no! my dear,
I've got you,
From me you cannot fly.
No
mortal hand can save you.
Florelda, you must
die."
(7)
Down on her knees she
bended
And pleaded for her life.
But in her
lily bosom
He plunged a dreadful knife.
(8)
"Edward I never deceived
you."
They were her last dying words;
"But
Eddie, I'll forgive you"
She closed her eyes and
died.
(9)
'Twas only one month after,
While he on the gallows high,
Confessed that he had
murdered
The one he loved so true.
(10)
Now all young girls take warning
4From this lesson,
so I say,
And never go out walking,
To plan
your wedding day.
Finis
Notes
1
This ballad bears similarity to "The Ballad of Pearl Bryan." In
1896, 22-year-old Bryan was found decapitated in Fort Thomas, Kentucky.
2
Possible variation of the more common
"Florella"
3
Murder ballads are a ballad subgenre that describe
the circumstances leading to a murder.
4
As the most common
iteration of the murder ballad is that of a young girl led astray by a man, this
line is typical.
