Origins: Home on a Furlough

Subject: Origins: Home on a Furlough
From: GUEST,Stringsinger
Date: 28 Mar 14 - 05:33 PM

"A feeble little baby on his death bed lay
His mother seemed to think that death was near.
She wrote to baby's papa, a soldier far away
Who was always very fond of baby dear.


I'm home on a furlough, the soldier said
And the baby grows worse every day
How could I ever forgive myself
If she should die while I'm away"

Anybody have any ideas?

Subject: RE: Origins: Home on a Furlough
From: autoharper
Date: 20 Jul 14 - 05:21 PM

In Oregon, I collected a version of a waltz entitled "Home on a Furlough" AKA "The Feeble Little Baby." The melody is reminiscent of Harry Von Tilzer's "A Bird in a Gilded Cage." The song was sung by a lifelong western Nebraska resident born in 1896. There are many different published songs using the title "Home on a Furlough." Can anyone tell us about this lyric Stringsinger has posted?