Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-04-21
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A correspondent gives the follow
ing account Of the singing OF Father,
Come Home" in one of the music
halls in London, and we gladly trans
fer the scene, for such we term il to
our columns 1t is most beautifully
touching appeal, and the effect on all
who read il must, to some extent, be
the same as that produced on the
London audience. Despair, love, hope,
and reform are all set forth in the most
vivid colors
Having reached the hall, we paid
an admission fec Of six pence. There
was very neat stage, with gaudy
drop scene, side wings, and 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 as to make the
place almost suifocating, for theirmust
have been an audience Of nearly five
hundred. A nigger "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 no.
catch, and amidst clapping of hands
and stamping of feet there was a
buzz of, "This is the song !" The
waiter called loudly, "Any more or
ders Z" and these being taken and du-
" executed, all seemed to settle down
quietly to listen TO the song. There
was the symphony and another buzz
of "This is H." and we began to feel
anxious. Presently . female came in
front of the curtain, amid great ap-
plause, and commenced "Father, dear
father" etc. Every word was dis
tinet and she sang the ballad with
great feeling, In order, however, TO
fully describe the scene which iol-
lowed each verse, it is necessary TO
give Little Mary's' song:
'Father, dear father. come home with me now,
The clock in the sieepls strikes ones Igongl
You promised, dear father that you would come
home,
As soon as your dny's work was done.
Our FIRE has gone out-our home Is all dark,
And mothers been watching since tea,
With poor little Benny 90 sick in her arms,
And no one to help her bat me.
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 a public
house, in a drunken bemuddled state,
with pipe and pot before him. Lit
tle 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, "Come Home, etc. The other
curtain was now drawn aside, disclos-
ing n wretehed room, in which was
the mother, with the poor, sickly-
looking boy on her lap, and in the net
of feeding him with a spoon. Simul-
taneously with the drawing of the
curtain, the dim light was brought to
bear upon the tableaux, giving them
a truly startling effect. After a mo-
ment or two, the act drop came down,
and the lady proceeded:
"Father, dear father, come home with me now,
The clock in the stoeplc strikes two; lgoug
gongl
The night has grown colder, and Benny is worse
But be has been calling for you.
Indeed be is worse, mother SAYS be will die,
Perhaps before morning shall dawn
And this was the message she sent me 10 bring,
Come quickly, or be viii 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,
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, as il Just raises its little
head and falls back with a gasp, with
the lime light rejecting strongly upon
it, there was areality about the whole
terrible to view. Sobs were heard
coming from all parts Of the hall, from
the female portion of the audience,
while tears trickled down many male
check. We have seen "Susan Hop
ley" "The Stranger" "Jane Shore, T"
EAST Lynne" and other affective
pieces played, but never before did
We witness a scene of such general
crying - principal feature called
TO mind We picture of the "Sister Of
Mercy" with The dying child in her
lap, and the death was icariully natu-
raj. Even the lady who sang the song
was affected, and could scarcely pro
coed with the third verse
oFather, dear father. come home with me now.
The clock in the stccple strikes thrcel lgong,
gong gong
The house is 50 lonely the hours are 30 long.
For poor weeping mother and mes
Yes We are alonc-poor Benny s dead.
And gone with DE angels of light
And these are the very lot words that be said
I want 90 kiss papa good uieht
Come home como home, come homo.
Please father, dear father come home"
Again the drop rose, disclosing little
Mary on her knees appeal ~ to her
father, who with the pot elevated, as
10 the act Of striking her with il, a.
she sings "Gome Home, and then the
back curtain draws aside. showing the
mother praying aver the child's coffin.
But now the sobs burst more freely.
and two females are carried out faint.
ing. The scene was truly narrowing.
and we turned gladly our ewes away.
An additional verse was sung about
"Poor Benny" being with the angels
above. The drop rose: The father.
now sober, is weeping over the coffin
with the mother, and little Mary On
her knees singing "Home, homo. ia.
ther, dear fathers come home" AT
tins moment the curtain is drawn
aside, and little Benny is suspended
over the coffin with wings smiling up.
on them and pointing upwards. The
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