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[Poem] "The New-York Boy's Song" by Lydia Maria Child (1842, published 1854 in Flowers for Children). Written to celebrate the opening of the Old Croton Aqueduct which brought clean water to New York City on October 14, 1842.
Oh, blessed be the Croton!
It floweth everywhere—
It sprinkles o'er the dusty ground,
It cooleth all the air.
It poureth by the wayside,
A constant stream of joy,
To every little ragged girl,
And chimney-sweeping boy.
Poor little ragged children,
Who sleep in wretched places,
Come out for Croton water,
To wash their dirty faces.
And if they find a big tub full,
They shout aloud with glee,
And all unite to freight a chip,
And send it out to sea.
To the ever-running hydrant
The dogs delight to go,
To bathe themselves, and wet their tongues,
In the silver water-flow.
The thirsty horse, he knoweth well
Where the Croton poureth down,
And thinks his fare is much improved
In the hot and dusty town.
And many a drunkard has forgot
To seek the fiery cup;
For everywhere, before his face,
Sweet water leapeth up.
Then blessings on the Croton!
It flows for man and beast,
And gives its wealth out freely,
To the greatest and the least.
We city boys take great delight
To watch its bubbling play,
To make it rush up in the air,
Or whirl around in spray.
It is good sport to guide a hose
Against the window-pane,
Or dash it through the dusty trees,
Like driving summer rain.
Oh, blessed be the Croton!
It gives us endless fun,
To make it jump and splash about,
And sparkle in the sun.
And the Fountains in their beauty,
It glads our hearts to see—
Ever springing up to heaven,
So gracefully and free.
Fast fall their sparkling diamonds,
Beneath the sun's bright glance,
And like attendant fairies,
The shim'ring rainbows dance.
White and pure their feathery foam,
Under the moon's mild ray,
While twinkling stars look brightly down
Upon their ceaseless play.
And all about the crowded town,
In garden, shop, or bower,
Neat little fountains scatter round
A small refreshing shower.
Perhaps some dolphin spouts it forth
To sprinkle flower or grass,
Or marble boy, with dripping urn,
Salutes you as you pass.
Then blessings on the Croton!
May it diminish never—
For its glorious beauty
Is a joy forever.
Note by the author: In former years, water was very scarce and very bad, in some parts of the city of New-York. But now an abundance of delicious water is brought from the river Croton, forty miles off. It runs under-ground, in big iron pipes. In every street, are conductors, called hydrants, from which small streams flow continually.
Lydia Maria Child wrote 'The New-York Boy's Song' to celebrate the opening of the Old Croton Aqueduct, which brought clean water to New York City on October 14, 1842. The poem, published in her collection Flowers for Children (1854), follows the new water through the streets — ragged children washing at hydrants, horses drinking, and fountains 'ever springing up to heaven.'