Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1869-03-18
fir the Aat1e Citfle.
ssFATHER, COME HOME"

An English paper gives the following
account of the manner in which this touch
ing song was sung in one of the music halls
of London. In order to present its truths
more vividly it was rendered on the stage
with drop scene and other accompani-
ments. The account says:
"Presently lady came in front of the
curtain, and commenced singing Father,
dear Father etc. Every word was dis
tinct, and she sang the ballad with great
feeling. In order, however, to fully des-
cribe the scene which followed each verse,
it is necessary to give little Mary's song
Father, dear Father, come home with me now,
The clock in the steeple strikes one (Gong.l
You promised, dear father, that you would come
home
AS soon as your days work was done.
Our fire has gone out-our home 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.
Hear the sweet voice of the child,
Which the night winds repeat as they moan,
o! who could resist the most paintive of prayerss
Please, father, dear father, come home.
Come home, come home, come home,
Please, father, dear father, come home.
"At the conclusion of the last line the
drop scene drew up, disclosing the father
sitting at the door of q public-house, in a
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 a curtain behind, as she took
up the refrain from the lady, and touch
ingly sang, Come 'home,' etc. This other
curtain was now drawn aside, disclosing
wretched room with the poor mother sitting
on the ground with sickly-looking boy in
her lap, and in the act of feeding him with
a spoon. Simultaneously with the drawing
of the curtain the light was brought to bear
upon the tableaux, giving them truly
startling effect After a moment or two
the act-drop came down, and the lady pro-
ceeded:
Father, dear father, come home with me now
Theclock on the steeple strikes two [Gong, gong.]
The night has grown colder, and Benny is worse,
And he has been calling for you.
Indeed he is worse, ma SAYS he will die,
Perhaps before morning shall dawn,
And this is the message she sent me to bring
Come quickly, or he will be gone.
Hear the sweet voice of the child,
Which the night winds repeat as they moan,
o! who could resist the most plaintve Of prayers
Please, father, dear father, come home.
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, trying to
take it from the drunken parent, and as
she continues the last two lines, Come
home,' etc., 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 q reality about the whole ter
rible to view. Sobs were heard from all
parts of the hall, coming from the female
portion of the audience, while tears trickled
down many a male cheek. Even the lady
who sang the song was affected, and could
scarcely proceed with the third verse:
The clock in the steeple strikes three [Gong gong,
The house is 80 lonely, the hours are so long,
For poor weeping mother and me-
Yes, we are alone-poor Benny is dead,
And gone with the angels of light!
And these were the very last words that he said
Il want to kiss papa-good night!
Hear the sweet voice Of the child,
o! who could resist the most paintive of prayers?
Please, father, dear father, come home.
Come home, come home, come home,
Please, father, dear father, come home.'
"Again the drop rose, disclosing little
Mary on her knees, appealing to her faith
er, who, with pot elevated, is in the act of
striking her with it, as she sings, Come
home, and then the back curtain draws
aside, showing the mother praying over a
child's coffin. But now the sobs burst out
still more freely. The scene was truly
narrowing, and we gladly turned our eyes
away.
can 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 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 upward. The father
falls forward on his face, the act drop de-
scends, and for few minutes all is hushed
save the sobs of the females.
''There said working man by our side,
as he heaved sigh of relief, MIR. Spur
geon never preached better sermon than
that an expression to which we assented,
and then left the hail."