In its time, Eugene Fields‘ 1892 poem “Old Times, Old Friends, Old Love” was a much beloved statement on what can only be described as the good old days. I encountered in it during my studies of American poetry referencing Whip-poor-wills. Among the handful of poems in which Whip-poor-wills inspire nostalgia, Fields’ poem is probably the purest expression of that emotion. For that reason — and also because of Fields’ reknown as an editorialist — the poem was reprinted extensively from its publication in the late 1800s into the mid-1930s.
There are no days like the good old days,—
The days when we were youthful!
When humankind were pure of mind,
And speech and deeds were truthful;
Before a love for sordid gold
Became man’s ruling passion,
And before each dame and maid became
Slave to the tyrant fashion!
There are no girls like the good old girls,—
Against the world I ‘d stake ’em!
As buxom and smart and clean of heart
As the Lord knew how to make ’em!
They were rich in spirit and common-sense,
And piety all supportin’;
They could bake and brew, and had taught school, too,
And they made such likely courtin’!
There are no boys like the good old boys,—
When we were boys together!
When the grass was sweet to the brown bare feet
That dimpled the laughing heather;
When the pewee sung to the summer dawn
Of the bee in the billowy clover,
Or down by the mill the whip-poor-will
Echoed his night song over.
There is no love like the good old love,—
The love that mother gave us!
We are old, old men, yet we pine again
For that precious grace,—God save us!
So we dream and dream of the good old times,
And our hearts grow tenderer, fonder,
As those dear old dreams bring soothing gleams
Of heaven away off yonder.
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Featured illustration: “Critical Moments”
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