The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1868-11-26
Tho Story CT a Popular Song.


Tho Story CT a Popular Song.
W. W., in the Stdttoner, gives the follow
ing account Of the singing of Father Come
Home, in one OF tie music halls in London
a" Having reached the hall. we paid an ad-
mission fee of sixpence. There was a very
neat stage. with gaHdy drop-scene, side
wings, and tolerable good orchestra. Ia
the stalls sat the chairman, to keep order
over as motley an audience as ever was seen
out of the gallery of the Victory Theatre.
'Costers' seemed to predominate. All APP
peared plentlfully supplied with porter, and
all were enjoying their pipes at such an ex-
tent as to make the place almost suffocating;
Tor there must have been an audience of
nearly five hundred. A Niger 'walk-rouud'
was jnst being finished, and the shouts Of
"encore = whistIing and stamping of feet
made the hall perfectly bewilderine. a
name was announced from the chairman,
which we could not catch, and amidst clap
ping Of hands and stamping of feet there
was buzz Of This is the Song!' The wal
ter called loudly ANY more orders p and
these being taken and duly executed, all
seemed 10 settle down qnietly to listen to the
song. There was the symphony, and an
other buzz Of This is - and we began to
feel anxious. Presently a female came in
troat Of the curtain, amidst great applause.
aud commenced. Father, dear father &c.
Every word was distinct, aud she sang the
ballad with great feeling. In order. how
ever, to fully describe the scene which fol-
lowed each verse. i: IS necessary to give
little Mary's' song:
d" Father, dear father, come home with me now,
The clock IN the steepe strikes One lgoDg
7 ou, promised, dear father, that you would
come home
As soon as your days work was done,
Our fire has gone Out-our house is all dark,
And mothers been watching since tea,
With poor little Benny so sick in her arms
And no one to help her but me-
Come home, come home, come home
Please father, dear father, come home.'
"At the conclusion Of the last line the drop
seems drew up, disclosing the father sitting
at the door of public house. IL drunken.
bemuddied state. with pipe aud pot before
him. Little Mary was trying 10 drag hlm
from his seat, at the same time pointing to
a curtain behind, as size took up the refrain
from the lady. and touchiIgly sang, 'Cume
hOme.' &c. This Other curtain was now
drawn aside. disclosing a wretched room in
which was the mother with the poor sicklv
looking boy in her lap. and in the act of
feeding him with spoon. simultaneously
with the drawing of the curtain the lime
light was brought to bear upon the tableaux,
giving them truly startling effect. After
moment or two the act-drop came down,
and the lady proceeded
Father, dear father, come home with me now
The clock in the steeple strikes two (gong,
gong,)
The night has grown colder, and Benny is
worse,
But he has been calling for you.
Indeed he is worse, mother says he will die,
Perhaps before morning shall dawn,
And this was the message she sent me to
bring
Come quickly or he will be gone.
Come home, come home, come home,
Please father, dear father, come home
The act drop rises again, aud now the
! child has hold of the pewter pot, trying to
take it from the drunken parent, and, as she
( continues the last two lines, Come homa.' ,
/ &c the other curtain is drawn aside, ami
we next see the child stretched out on its
mothers lap. and it Just raises its little
! head and falls back with gasp, with the
limelight rejecting strongly upon it. there
was reality about the whole, terrible to
view. Sobs were heard coming from all parts
Of the hall. coming from the female portion
of the audience, while tears trickled down
many male cheek We have seen Susan
Hopey,' The Stranger Jane Shore , East
Lynn and other effective pieces play Ell, but
never before did we witness such a scene OF
/ general crying. The principal feature called
to mind the picture eff the Sister of Mercy ,
/ with the dying child in her lap, and the
death was fearfully natural. Even :he lady
who sang the song was affected. and could
scarcely proceed with the third verse:
''' Father. dear ia ther come home with me now
The clock in the sJeeple strikes Three
(gong, gong, goug,)
, The house is SO lonely she hours are so long,
For poor we ping mother and me.
! Yes, we are alone-pOor Benny il dead,
And gone with the angels OF light
And these are the very last words that be
said
I want to kiss papa good night
Come home. come bome. come home.
Please, father, dear father, come home.
"Again the Drop rose. disclg sing little
Mary on her knees appealing TO her father,
who, with pot elevated, is in the act of stri-
king her with it, as she sings come home,
and then the back curtain draws aside,
showing the mother praying over child's
coffin. But now the sobS burst more freely.
and two females were carried out fainting
The scene was truly narrowing, and we glali-
ly turned eur eyes away.
! "An additional verse was sung about Poor
Benny being with the angels above. The
drop rose the father, sober now. is weeping
over the coffin with the mother, and little
Mary on her knees singing. Home, home,
( father, dear fathers come homep At this
J moment the curtain is drawn aside. and lit
! tie Benny is suspended over the coffin with
wings. smiling down upon them and point
ing upwards. The father falls forward on
his face, the aot.drop descends, aud for few
minutes al is hushed savesthe sobs Of the
/ females.
"There!' = said workingnan by our side,
as he heaved a sigh of relief. Mr.. Spurgecn
never preached better sermon than that I
-an expression to which we assented, and
then left the hail."