The Lover of Fair Elaine Ballad Based On Flue Epidemic of 1917

THE FAIR ELAINE My mother had an uncle, Hayes, Who loved the banker's child Hayes was just a dray man It made the banker wild When Hayes proposed to fair Elaine He asked for her sweet hand Her father said that he’d agree If Hayes could buy some land. So off Hayes went To make his stake He traveled night and day Until he found a growing town He knew he had to stay he drove his mule team train to train delivered tons of goods and every day he wrote to her he’d promised that he would and once a week he mailed the pack he sent his seven letters she saved them all so comforted that times were getting better and in two years Hayes had the cash To marry fair Elaine He hitched his mules To go for her And traveled ‘cross the plain And when he came up to her house Black wreathes were on her door He knocked and found his fair Elaine Was on this earth no more Hayes went home in sorrow Took a shotgun from the shelf He shot his pair of finest mules And then he shot himself