Bingo. It was one of those things with hyphens in the title


WHIP-POOR-WILL'S SONG
Words and music by Harrison Millard, 1865.

1. Oh, meet me when daylight is fading,
And is darkening into the night;
When songbirds are singing their vespers,
And the day has far vanished from sight;
And then I will tell to you, darling,
All the love I have cherished so long,
If you will but meet me at evening,
When you hear the first whip-poor-will's song.

CHORUS: Whip-poor-will! Whip-poor-will!
You hear the first whip-poor-will's song;
Oh, meet me; oh, meet me,
When you hear the first whip-poor-will's song.

2. 'Tis said that whatever sweet feelings
May be throbbing within a fond heart,
When list'ning to whip-poor-will's singing,
For a twelve-month will never depart;
So then we will meet in the woodland,
Far away from the hurrying throng,
And whisper our love to each other,
When we hear the first whip-poor-will's song. CHORUS

3. And in the long years of the future,
Through our duties may part us awhile,
And on the return of the evening,
We are severed by many a mile;
Yet deep in our bosoms we'll cherish
The affection so fervent and strong,
We pledged to each other this evening,
When we heard the first whip-poor-will's song. CHORUS


From Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House Books
http://www.laurasprairiehouse.com/music/littletown/whippoorwillssong.html

Thanks to 12-Stringer for the lead down another path.

[Sheet music from 1865 can be seen at the Internet Archive.]