The Letter Edged in Black

Last night on Dr. Isern’s Facetime show - The Willow Creek Folk School, Plainsfolk - he sang and discussed a few of the old-time songs, heritage songs. First off came “The Letter Edged in Black.” It’s a generation or two older than I am, but my mother told me one time that receiving one meant bad news, usually the death of a person close to the sender. The memory of how I came to be in possession of the sheet music for it has started to blur, but it was given to me by Freda Hoy who cooked at the Sheldon school. She and I must have talked about it. There have been different versions of the song and the lyrics below state Wilf Carter wrote them. But they must go back further than that. I have a couple Wilf Carter albums; I don’t think his version is as old as the one by Hattie Nevada.

I was standing by the window yesterday morning,

Without a thought of worry or of care,

When I saw the postman coming up the pathway,

With such a happy look and jolly air.

[Chorus]

As I heard the postman whistling yester morning,

Coming down the pathway with his pack,

Oh he little knew the sorrow that he brought me

When he handed me that letter edged in black.

Oh, he rang the bell and whistled while he waited,

And then he said "Good morning to you, Jack."

But he little knew the sorrow that he brought me

When he handed me that letter edged in black.

With trembling hand I took the letter from him,

I broke the seal and this is what it said:

"Come home, my boy, your dear old father wants you!

Come home, my boy, your dear old mother's dead!"

"The last words that your mother ever uttered 

'Tell my boy I want him to come back,'

My eyes are blurred, my poor old heart is breaking,

For I'm writing you this letter edged in black."

I bow my head in sorrow and in silence,

The sunshine of my life it all has fled,

Since the postman brought that letter yester morning

Saying,"Come home, my boy, your dear old mother's dead!:"

"Those angry words, I wish I'd never spoken,

You know I never meant them, don't you, Jack?

May the angels bear me witness, I am asking

Your forgiveness in this letter edged in black."