Sweeter, dearer, yes, dearer far than these,

voiceCollected by Karl T. Gosnell For Mary C. Parler Sung by Annie Owens Ola, Arkansas November 20, 1958 Reel 274, Item 12 Bonnie Eloise, the Belle of the Mohawk Yale Sweet is the vale where the Mohawk gently glides O'er the clear, winding way to the sea; And dearer than all the storied streams or earth Is this bright rolling river to me* Chorus: Sweeter, dearer, yes, dearer far than these, Who charms when others all fail, Is blue-eyed, bonny Eloise, The belle of the Mohawk Vale. Oh, sweet are the scenes of my boyhood’s sunny hours That bespangled the gay valley o’er; And dear are the friends seen through memory's fond tears That have lived in the blest days of yore. (Chorus) But, sweeter, dearer, etc. Oh, sweet are the moments when dreaming I roam Through my loved haunts and mossy and grey; And dearer than all is my childhood's hallowed home That is crumbling now slowly away. (Chorus) But, sweeter, dearer, etc.Funding for digitization provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council and the Happy Hollow Foundation