GRACE FOR A CHILD
Here, a little child, I stand, Heaving up my either hand: Cold as paddocks though they be, Here I lift them up to thee, For a benison to fall On our meat, and on us all. Amen.
Robert Herrick
Here, a little child, I stand, Heaving up my either hand: Cold as paddocks though they be, Here I lift them up to thee, For a benison to fall On our meat, and on us all. Amen.
A very young child speaks these words, standing at the table with both hands raised, asking for a blessing on the meal. The gesture is earnest and a little awkward—those small hands are cold as frogs, which tells us the room might be chilly or the child has just come in from outdoors.
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