once in royal david s city stood a lowly cattle shed where a mother laid her baby in a manger for his bed mary was that mother mild jesus christ her little child he came down to earth from heaven who is god and lord of all and his shelter was a stable and his cradle was a stall with the poor and mean and lowly lived on earth our savior holy jesus is our childhood s pattern day by day like us he grew he was little weak and helpless tears and smiles like us he knew and he feeleth for our sadness and he shareth in our gladness and our eyes at last shall see him through his own redeeming love for that child so dear and gentle is our lord in heav n above and he leads his children on to the place where he is gone