Laura Ingalls Wilder included a portion of this song in her autobiographical children’s novel The Long Winter.
I apologise for connecting this to the wrong author; the Harry Clifton who wrote this is almost unknown, but he’s definitely not the Irish one.
This life is a difficult riddle
For how many people we see
With faces as long as a fiddle
That ought to be shining with glee
I am sure in this world there are plenty
Of good things enought for us all
And yet there's not one out of the twenty
But thinks that his share is too small
Chorus:
Then what is the use of repining
For where there’s a will there's a way
And tomorrow the sun may be shining
Although it is cloudy today
Do you ever hear tell of the spider
That tried up the wall hard to climb?
If not, just take that as a guider
You'll find it will serve you in time
Nine times it tried hard to be mounting
And every time it stuck fast
But it tried hard again without counting
And of course it succeeded at last
Chorus
Do you think that by sitting and sighing
You’ll ever obtain all you want?
It's cowards alone that are crying
And foolishly saying "I can't"
It's only by plodding and striving
And laboring up the steep hill
Of life that you'll ever be thriving
Which you'll do if you've only the will.
Chorus
Where There’s a Will There’s a Way was written by Harry Clifton.