Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-02-19
" Father Come Home"
A SERMON IN A soNa THRILLING
EFFECT.
D. WYATT AIKEN.

EFFECT.
A correspondent gives the following
account of the singing of Father,
Come IFomc," in ono Of the music
halls in London. It is most beauti-
fully touching appeal, and the effect
on all who read it must, to some cX-
tent, be the same as that produced on
the London audience. Despair, love,
hope and reform are all set forth in
most vivid colors:
H.viny reached the hall, we paid
an admission fee Of six pence. There
was very neat stage, with gaudy
drop scene, side wir gs, and IL tolerably
good orchestra. In the stalls sat the
chairman, to keep order over as mot.
ley an audience as ever was seen out
of the gallery of the Victoria Theatre.
'Costers seemed to predominate.' ALL
appeared plentifully supplied with
porter, and all were enjoying their
pipes to such an extent rs to mako
the place almost suffocating, for there
must have been an audience 6 nearly
five hundred. A niger walk around
was just being finished, and the shouts
of encore, whistling and stamping of
feet made the hall perfectly bewilder-
ing. A name was announced from the
chairman, which we could not catch,
and amidst clapping of hands and
stamping Of feet there was buzz Of
This is the songr The waiter called
loudly, ANY moro orders' and these
being taken and duly executed, all
seemed to settle down quietly to listen
to the song. There was the SYM
phony, and another buzz Of This is
Fiji and wo began to feel anxious.
Presently q female came in front of
the curtain, admidst great applause,
and commenced Father, dear father
etc. 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
necessary to give "Little Mary's'
song:
"Father, dear father. come home with me now,
The clock in the steeple strikes one
You promised, dear father, that You would come
home
Az soon as your days work was done.
Our fire has gone out-our hom- is all dark.
And mothers been watching since tea,
With l'or little Benny so sick in her arms,
And NO one to help her but me.
Come home. come home. come homo,
Please, father, dear father, come home"
At the conclusion of the last line
! the drop scene drew up disclosing the
father sitting at the. doorsof public
house, in drunken .bemuddlcd state,
:; with pipe and pot before him. Lit
tic 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 touchingly
sang, Como home," etc. This other
curtain was now drawn aside, disclos.
ing wretchcd room, in which was
the mother, with the poor, sickly.
looking boy in her lap, and in the act
Of feeding him with "a spoon. Stimuli,
tapeously with the drawing Of the
curtain, the lime light, was brought to
bear upon the tableahx, giving them 9
truly startling effect. After q moment
or two, the act drop came down, aud
the lady proceeded: Il =. .e>t.,,;,
I .:.} -
"Fa,hsr. dear father. come nome with mo now
The clock in the steepls strikes Twol,s.,, q :
| - ....,>-,l-s.s. -, Egong. gong,1
! The night has grown colder, and Benny is worse
But be hss bean calling fr you. -.
Indeed hsis soyss, mother sage hs Win dis,
Il Perhaps bssops m6snsag shsIL dawn. y
s. And this wes tho mssssSs che sAnt me 70 briDg.-
i Come qufsssyos hs wfli b gone /
i Como horne salns home, come betns,
PIN, ts.Ast h sa ds.r l.,hs,, sens bsnA'
4 ThsAs drpp risea again, 81 and i "a, i
The child hss hdfd of fas pewter poi
i trying s3a ,Sshss 81 ftosn The sasnnks,
parent and q sEs 'Sontla6 6Ss M iAs
Z exe saiHoe@ Come hosiss Z stp:. .th
!, akhsR orISf faxn III dfAHtn. - q. Sssss -