Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-03-19
NUMBER 8.

sitting at the door of public house, In
drunken, bemuddled state, with pipe
and pot before him. Little Mary was
trying to drag him from his seat, at the
same time pointing to curtain behind,
as she took up the refrain from the lady,
and touchingly sang, "Come home," DC.
This other curtain was now drawn aside,
disclosing wretched room in which was
the mother with the poor, sickly-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 truely startling effect. After
a 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 tgong,
gong)
The night has grown colder, and Benny Is worse,
But he has been calling for you.
Indeed he Is worse, mother says he viii die,
Perhaps before morning shall dawn,
And this was the message she sent me to
bring
Come quickly, or he win be gone.
Come home, come home, come home,
Please father, dear father, come home"
The act drop rises again, and now the
child has hold of the pewter pot, tryingto
take it from the drunken parent, and, rs
she continues the last two lines, ''Come
home,n &C., the other curtain Is drawn
aside, and we next see the child stretched
out on its mothers lap, and as it just
raises its little head and falls back with
gasp, with the lime light 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
Hopley," The Stranger" ''Janc Shore"
East Lynne" and other effective pieces
played, but never before did we witness
such scene of general crying. The
principal feature called TO mind the
picture of the ..Sister of Mercy" with the
diving child in her lap, and the death was
fearfully natural. Even the lady who
sang the song was affected. and could
scarcely proceed with the third verse
Father, dear father, come home with me now
The clock In the steepIe strikes Three tgons'
u,nV onnV
The house is so Lonely, the hours are so long
For poor weeping mother and me.
Yes, We are alope-poor Benny l. dead,
And gone with he angels Of light,
And these are the very last words that he
said
Il want e. kiss papa goodnight
Come home, come home, come home,
Please father dear father, come home'
Again the drop rose, disclosing little
Mary on herknees appealing To the father.
who, with the pot elevated, is in the act
of striking her with il, as she sings Come
home,r and then the back curtain draws
aside, showing the mother praying oyera
childs coffin But now the sobs burst still
more freely, aud two females were carried
out Elinting. The scene was truly har-
rowing. and we gladly turned our 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 Oh her knees
singing, "lIome, home. father, dear
fathers come home" AT this moment the
curtain is drawn aside and little Benny is
suspended over the coffin with wings,
smiling down upon them and pointing
upwards. The father falls forward on
his face, the act drop descends, and for
few minutes ali is hushed save the sobs of
the females.
There" said workingman by our
side, as he heay ed sigh of relief, "Mr.
Spurgeon never preached better sermon
than that" an expression to which We
asscn,ed, and then left the hall.