I'm so happy to know that I'm not the only one who's been confused by the lyrics of The Wildwood Flower. I have the Carter Family version on LP and Mother Maybelle is definitely hard to understand. I have heard so many versions of "the pale emenitus and eyeslip so blue". I never realized that there were so many others inquiring about the original words. I suppose it will remain an unsolved mystery. I believe that Maybelle Carter was truly a down-home lady who simply sang the words she thought she heard.