The Music of Childhood, from "Picture Poesies"

Houghton's image of two girls under a horse chestnut tree admiring a bird appeared in "Home Thoughts and Home Scenes" (1865). It was engraved by the Dalziel Brothers and published by Routledge. This impression was reissued in "Picture Poesies" (1874) and illustrates a poem by Jean Ingelow. The scholar Forrest Reid has pointed to unsettling elements in Houghton's images of children in "Home Thoughts and Home Scenes." Works that at first glance seem to celebrate middle class domesticity often contain bizarre or disturbing details that point to darker levels of the human psyche as revealed in the play of childrenThe Music of Childhood

When I hear the waters fretting,
When I see the chestnut letting
All her lovely blossom falter down, I think, "Alas the day!"
Once, with magical sweet singing,
Blackbirds set the woodland ringing
That awakes no more while April hours wear themselves away.

In our heart fair hope lay smiling
Sweet as air, and all beguiling;
And there hung a mist of bluebells on the slope and down the dell;
And we talked of joy and splendour
That the years unborn would render—
And the blackbirds helped us with the story, for they knew it well.

Piping, fluting, "Bees are humming
April's here and summer's coming;
Don't forget us when you walk, a man with men, in pride and joy;
Think on us in alleys shady
When you step a graceful lady;
For no fairer days have we to hope for, little girl and boy.

"Laugh and play, O lisping waters,
Lull our downy sons and daughters,
Come, O wind, and rock their leafy cradle in they wanderings coy.
When they wake we'll end the measure
With a wild sweet cry of pleasure,
And a "hey down derry, let's be merry, little girl and boy!'"