The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1869-01-21
"FATHER, COME HOME" "

/.
moved many hearts in this coun-
try, has been received with equal
favor in Europe, and The Stationer
gives an account Of the singing Of
it in one of the music halls of Lon
don. There was a stage, with
gaudy drop, p,sccne, orchestra, etc.
After various performances this
piece was announced. The account
says: .t,'...,.r..
| Presently female came in front
of the curtain, amidst great ap.
plausc, and commenced, Father,
dear father" etc, every word was
distinct, and she sang the ballad
with great feeling. In order, how
ever, to fully describe the scene
which followed each verso, it is
necessary to give little Mary's'
song; ''D' ..o'
Father. dear father, come home with me now.
The clock in the stoepie strikes One! Gong
You promised, dear father, tliat youwould come
| home .j .. l t1r .r
! Assoon as your day work WAS done.
Our fire. has gone out--our house is all dark,
And mothers been watching since tea,
With poor little Benny 80 sick in her arm,
| 10 holr Il l,,,k,
Come home CONG home, GENE home,
| Please, father, dear fat her, como home"
At the conclusion of the last
line the drop scene drew up, disclo-
sing the father sitting at the door
of public house, in a drunken be.
muddIed state, with a pipe and
pot before him. Little Mary was
trying to drag him from his seat,
at the same time pointing to cur.
tain behind, as she took up the re,
frain from tho lady, and touching
ly saLg, "Come home,' etc. This
other curtain was now drawn n
sldc, disclosing wretched room,
with poor mother sitting on the
ground with a sickly looking
boy in her lap and in tho act OF
feeding him with spoon. Stimuli
tanoously with tho drawing of the
curtain the Iime.light was brought
TO bear on tho tubleaux, giving
them startling effect. After a
moment or two the act.drop went
down, and tho lady proceeded:
''Fathcr doar father, come home with me now
"The | ck inthe s:eeplestrike Two (Giong,
gong) .-l..
The night has grown colder, and Benny is
But he has heen calling for you.
In1eed he is worse, ma says he viii die,
Perhaps before morning shall dawn,
and :hls is tho message he sent meto bring
Como quickly or he wi II he gOno. 'i fa
o Come nome, come home. come home,
| y Please, fat her, dear fat her, como home. p"
Tho act drop rises again, and
now the child has hold of the pow
ter pot, trying to take it from the
drunken parent, and as she con-
tinues 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 limc.light rejecting
strongly upon it, there was real
ity about tho whole terrible to the
view. Sobs were heard from all
parts Of the hall, coming from the
female portion Of the audience,
! whilc tears trickled7 down many q
male check. Even tho lady who
sang the song was affected, and
could scarcely proceed with the
third verse: tr.y .r... Y.,
"Fnther, dear father, come home with mo now
The clock in Tho steeple strikes Three i
| (Gong, gong, gong) ....#. .J.
The house ~ so lor ely, the hours are so long
For poo rweeping mother and me.
Yes we are alone--poor Benny is dead,
And gone with the angels flight
And these were the very last words that ht
Raid-- "a, ,.,..,I
'Iwantto kiss papa-g goodnight !" o..
Come home, come home, cemo home,
Please, iather, dear father, come home
Again the drop rose, disclosing
little Mary on her knees, appeal
ing to her father, who, with po
elevated, is in the act of striking
fcr with ii, as she sings, "Com'
home, land then tho back curtain
f. draws aside, showing the mothel
praying over a child's coffin. Blu,
now the sobs burst out more free
", and two females wero carried
out fainting, The scene was truly
y narrowing, and we gladly turnet
n our eyes away, Q0
|; An additional verse was sung q
Y Wont ltapoo,. Beunyn being V jth thl