The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-02-20

osuua ol,sk> sluki3g III aFAAsr. c.
Hons, = a one u We Music Halls ID Loaa-
don
!. Havinx reached the hall. We psid tbs a.
mittan6e tee Of six-penas. There yras 4 rers
neat s1Hgs, with EA1dy drop sesnes. side
wing end 3 tolershly good orchestra. Is
the stails eat he chairman, 70 keep order
over as motley "a audience e. ever vas seen
out 81 the gallery Of victoriA Theatre.
"CostersD seemed to predominzte. All ap-
peared plsntIfully suppliod with porter, and
all we're enjoying their pipes 10 such an OK.
sent ~ 10 make the place almost sufEocsting.
for there mnss hare been an audience 81
nearly ave hundred. A Niger swalk
.ssound' was jest being finished, and the
shouts Of "enoore," whistling aud stamp
ing Of feet made che hAll Perfecsly Devil
defing.
A name was announced BY the chairman,
which we could not catch, and amidst clap
ping Of hands and stasaping OF feet there
vas buxs Of "This is the song 20 the wal
asr called loudly, "Any more orders ?'' and
these being taken and daily executed, all
seemed to settle down quietly and listen 10
the song. There was the symphony, and
another buzz OF 'sThis is il 20 and We began
20 feel anxious. Presently q female came
10 front OF the curtain, amidst great ap-
plause, and commenced, "Father, dear "a
Their GOMEZ" DC. Every word was distinct
and she sang the ballad with great feeling.
In order, however, to fully describe the
scene which followed each verse, it is me-
cessary 70 give "Little Mary's song;
Father. dear father. come home with me now,
Taee l.a L. a.. 49,
fo promised dear faiaer that you would come home,
Az son - your days work was done.
Our Ore has ecne out our houss ID al dark,
And mothers been wstchiag aDce tea,
With poor little Benny xsk In her arms,
And no one 70 help her but me-.
Come home, e0ms hone, come home.
Piease father, dear father, home
Az the conclusion Of the last line the drop
scene drew up disclosing the father citing
at the door OF public house, in drunken,
oemudd;ed state. with pipe and porter be-
fore him. Little Mary was trying TO drag
him from his seat, st the same time point
ing to curtain behisd, a. she took az the
refrain from the lady, and touchingly sang,
Come home," 30. This curtain was now
drawn aside, disclosing wretched room in
which was the molher with the poor sickly
looking boy in her lap, snd In the act Of
feeding him with spoon. Simultan eously
with drawing OF the curtain, the lime light
was brought 50 bear on the tableaux, giving
them truly startling effect. After mo-
meni or two the act drop came down and
the lady proceeded:
Father, dear father, come home with me now,
Inc clock IN the sseepls strikes two gong. EongJ
The nigh. has grown colder, and Benny l. worse,
But be hns been eslng for you
Indeed he 10 worse, mother says he win die,
Perhaps before morning shall dawn,
ana mis- ras the message she sent me 10 bring
Come quickly, OF he will be gone.
Come home, come home come home.
Piease father, dear father. come bone"
The act drop rises again, and now the
child has hold Of the pewter pot, irving to
take il away from the drunken parent, and
as she continues the last two lines, "Come
home,' etc., the other curtain IL drawn aside
and we next see the child stretched out on
its mothers lap, and, as ii 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
o. view.
S0bs were heard coming from all parts OF
the ball, comm from the female portion Of
the audience, while tears riekled down
many 9 male cheek. We have seen "Susan
Hopley," "Ihe Stranger ''Jane Shore, .
East Lynne'' and other effective pieces
play ed, but never before did We witness such
a scene Of general crying. The principal
feature called to mind the picture Of the
''Sister OF Mercy" with the dying child 10
her lap. and the death was fearfully natural
Even the lady who sang the song was affect
ed, and could scarcely proceed with the
third verse
''Pather, dear father, cor . home with me nov.
ThaH 1nrk{ h. II sArgh. ihraa rano
The hou-e l. lonely. Vi. hours % long.
Fer poor weeping mcthe. and me.
Yes We are alone--p0or ~ nBy 10 dead,
And gone with the angels OF light,
And tbese are the very last words that he said
want 70 kiss papa good night.
Come home, come home. come home.
Piense father, dear father, come home"
Again the curtain rose, disclosing little
Mary on her knees appealing TO her father
who, with the pot elevated, is in the act Of
striking ner with it, as she sings, Soon,
home" and then the back curtain draw
aside, showing the mother praying over ,
child's coffin. But now the sobs burst still
more freely, and the two females are carriet
out fainting. The scene was truly harrow
ing, and we gladly turned cur eyes away.
An additional verse was sung about s'Poo
Benny" being with the angels above. Th,
utOp IJcC~ VI tnbuCfy BODUE uVWt ~ WCCp
ing over the coffin with the mother, and liz,
tie Mary on her knees singing, "Home, home
father, dear fathers come home" At thi
moment the curtain is drawn aside, and lie
tie Benny il suspended over the coffin will
wings, smiling down upon them and point
ing upward. The father falls forward OF
his face, the act-drop descends, and for
few minutes all is hushed save the sobs o
the females.
"There," sand working man by our side
as be heaved sigh OF relief, s'Mr. Spurgeor
never preached q better sermon than that,
an expresiQu to which We assented, and
tHen Isfsthe hail.
~ sSTRIKE.-0n monday a strike took plac,
10 the Birmingham and Wolverhampton dis
irIcts Of the platelayers in the employ Of IN,
Great Western Railway Company. II ap
pears that the man who has control Of tn,
men desired to reduce their wages from It's
70 l5s. per week. They refused 70 submit
to such reduction, and in consequence struck
1t was agreei that they should be paid the
It's. for the p. esent week, but il they dc
not submit to the reduction to 15s. per weel
they should be asked for their shack mo
new" which is equivalent to dismissal. o.
il being understood that the ordinary wage.
for the week would be paid, the men resum
ed work, but We understand that 1t ia very
likely the men will refuse to work at the re-
ductIon.
The inquiry into the HiDdlv-green collie
rG explosion has terminated. The last wit