Jim Dixon's post(above in this thread) of 21 Feb 2011 - 8:30PM, which lists a poem which was published in Harper's Magazine in 1871, and identifies it as a precursor to "The Palace Grand" / "Lady Mary" / "The Sad Song" is truly a remarkable thing for me and I suspect for others that love this song. (Thanks Jim Dixon)

I wanted to comment further that it is also remarkable to me that Jean Ritchie's post (also above)of 21 Jan 2003 - 7:49PM should quote the last two lines of May Kennedy McCord's song rendition as: "Will I still be nothing to him, Though he dims heaven for me?" and have them be almost identical to the last two lines of the Harper's Magazine 1871 poem.

Also, it seems to me that the 1871 poem puts the controversy about the number of females in the song in the court that favors 2 females.