Tantalizing Song Fragment

You may know that I have dabbled in scrapbooking for a few years now.  I confess I spend a bit more time treasure hunting for interesting page embellishments than I do composing actual pages. 

One of the things I love about scrapbooking is that any tiny scrap can help tell a story.  Note the teensy bit of old paper above with this bit of song on it.  Who wouldn't toss it?  Not me!  Not only does it give a flavor for a time period, it makes you wish you knew what song this is from. 

We get questions about half remembered songs and song lyrics all of the time.  Noone has ever confessed that their question arises from a teeny piece of paper like this, but you KNOW it happens.

I'm working on Christmas cards so the phrase "Toil the Merry Crew" caught my eye and I said hmmm maybe a Christmas song I can incorporate on a card.

Pre-Internet (yes there WAS SUCH A TIME!) you would have had to look through innumerable song books and indexes in the hope of finding this bit.  It is somewhat difficult even with the Internet because you have the end of two lines, not the beginning.  No problems for D.O.A.

First, I found that it was by Stephen Foster and spent some time looking through this long long list of his songs ( he has some really lovely love songs in there, a few a bit suggestive, I thought in surprise).
I just could not spot the phrase.

So I searched again and added the lines and Stephen Foster in my search and found this page which gave me the title and lyrics.

1.
The land of my home is flitting,
Flitting from my view;
A gale in the sails is sitting,
Toils the merry crew.
Here let my home be,
On the water wide:
I roam with a proud heart;
Maggie's by my side;
My own love, Maggie dear,
Sitting by my side
Maggie dear, my own love,
Sitting by my side.

2.
The wind howling o'er the billow
From the distant lea,
The storm raging 'round my pillow
Brings no care to me.
Roll on ye dark waves,
O'er the troubled tide;
I heed not your anger,
Maggie's by my side;
My own love, Maggie dear.
Sitting by my side;
Maggie dear, my own love,
Sitting by my side.

3.
Storms can appal me never
While her brow is clear;
Fair weather lingers ever
Where her smiles appear
When sorrow's breakers
'Round my heart shall hide,
Still may I find her
Sitting by my side.
My own love, Maggie dear.
Sitting by my side;
Maggie dear, my own love,
Sitting by my side.