Being a Tale of

The Growth of The

Famous House of Murdock

by John Holmes

Written on the occasion of

Grandma Murdock's 75th Birthday

August 10,1922, at 28 Billingham

Street, West Somerville, Mass.

In the land of unborn children

Some fifty years ago

A host of future babies

Looked down on earth below.

By the sight which they are given

They looked on this domain

And all chose their future station

In which they were to reign

Of all the world's great cities

Of all the lands and seas

They chose to live in Somerville

In health and wealth and ease

Now long before this happened

In the land of unborn babes

Another future resident

On Charlestown decided.

The Blue Stork that brings the babies

Transported her to earth

Saying as he left her there

In tones of dread impart

From Heaven above I bring you

The head of a house to be

The House of Murdock liveth!

And the queen of it is thee!!

This babe forgot these words of truth

But saw there come to pass

And seventy years and five elapsed

When they came again to mind.

The House of Murdock gathered

To celebrate the birth

Of the head of all the family

The most renowned on earth".

from the land of unborn children

In all these seventy years

The House of Murdock drew recruits

And swelled the muster roll.

The eldest sister, Alice,

With a passion strong for books,

Her husband, 0. P. Taylor

A man of some renown -

Their children strong and sturdy

Harold M. the radio business man,

And Isabel, the saver of Jersey souls,

Next, Mary, mother of John;

Dorothy, the youngest, and Ruth, the older sister;

Brother Bob, the baseball fiend,

And John the Lit'ry shark.

The youngest of those sisters, Ella,

Her husband and her husky son

But others to the feast did press

Kinsfolk and cousins all -

To pay respects to Murdock

And all the family.

Aunt Ella Looke, the famous cook,

The Boardmans one and all,

Maude, well known for her sponge cake

And clever imitations,

Artie, collector emeritus and wiley wireless bug

And Herbert, able tickler of the ivories

To the other friends and relatives

Present if circumstances allow,

We extend a ward of greeting.

There is Mary's husband engineer,

Builder of dams in distant places.

There are the Uphams

Seeking solitude by the sea.

These and others send their greetings

To join with those here gathered

To extend congratulations

To our own Grandma Murdock

For a long and happy, useful life

And the wish that the occasion

Come many times again

When the House of Murdock gathers

To wish her 'Happy Birthday"

And celebrate her name.