The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1869-09-24
I" Father, Come Home. -

Father. Come Home.
Music has drawn many . heart
back from yielding to temptation
it was on the point Of doing, and
binds tho world together in stronger
bonds Of brotherhood than anything
else Of . humanising tendency
But how much more effective when
aided by . little dramatic effest.
A London correspondent gives an
affecting description Of the singing
Of the pathetic ballad of "Father
Come Hone" in one Of the London
theatres, which left but few dry
eyes in the house and must have
nervcd to stronger resolutions any
present who were in tie. habit q
giving way to the weakness of in.
dulging in intoxicating drinks to
excess. This correspondent, de-
scribing the scene, says that the Ia
dy came in front of tho curtain,
amid great applause, and commcnc-
ed "Fsther, dear father" &c.
Every word was distinct, and she
sang the ballad with great feeling.
In order, however, to describe the
scene which followed each verse, it
is necessary to give little Mary's
song: a.s..-
Father, dear father, come home with me
now,
The clock in the stceplc strikes one !
You promised, dear father, that you would
As soon as your days work was done.
Our FIRE has gone out-our house is al
dark,
And mothers been watching since ten,
With poor little Benny sick in her arms,
And no one to help her but me.
Come home, come home, come home,
Please, father, dear father come home. y
1T the conclusion of the last line,
the drop-sccne drew up, disclosing
the father sitting at the door Of q
public house, in . drunken, bemud.
died state, with pipe and pot before
him. Little Mary was trying to
drag him from his seat, at tlr same
time pointing to curtain behind,
and she took up the refrain from
tho lady and touchingly sang,
Come home," &c.
The other curtain was now drawn
aside, disclosing q wretchcd room,
with the POOR mother sitting on the
ground with sickly-looking boy in
her lep. and in the act Of feeding
him with spoon. Simultaneously
with the drawing Of the curtain, the
light was brought to bear upon the
tableaux, giving them truly start
ling effect. After . moment or two
tho act drop came dow,, and the
lady proceeded:
''Father. dear father, come home with me
The cleck in the steeple strikes two;
The night has grown colder, and Benny
is worse,
But he has been calling for you.
Indeed he is worse, mother says he will
die,
Perhaps before morning shall dawn,
And this is the message she sent mo tt
/ bring
Come quickly or he will bo gone.
Come home, come home, come home,
Please, father, dear father, come home. y
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 contln.
ues the last two lines, .'Come
home" &c., the other curtain il
drawn aside, and We next see the
child stretched out in its mother Z
lap, and it just raises its little
head and falls back with . gasp.
With the samo light rejecting
strongly upon it, there was ! reality
about the whole, terrible to view.
Sobs were heard from all parts oi
the hall, coming from the female
part Of the audience, while tears
tricklcd down many male check.
Even the lady who sang the song
was affected and could scarcely pro-
coed with tho third verse:
"Fathsr, dear father, come home with me
now,
The clock in the stceple strikes three
the house is SO lonely. the hours are 60
For poor weeping mother and me.
Yes, We are alone-poor Benny is dead,
And gone with the angels Of light !
And these are the very last words that he
said-
I want to kiss papa-good night =
Come home, come home, come home,
Please, father, dear father, come home !
Again the drop rose. and display
ed little Mary on her knees appeal
ing to her father, who. with pot cle-
vated, is in tho act striking her
with it. when she sang, .'Comc
home, and then the back curtain
draws aside, showing . mother
praying over : child's oofin. But
now tho sobs break out more freely,
and two females are carried out
fainting. Tho scenc Was most truly
narrowing.
An additional verse was sung
about "poor Benny" being with
the angels above. The drop rose.
the father, sober now. 10 weeping
over the coffin, with little Mary on
his knees. singing, "Homs, home,
fathers come homo - At this
minute the curtain il drawn aside,
and little Benny is suspended over
the cofin with wings. smiling down
on them and pointing upwards.
The father falls forward upon bis
face. the act-drop descended, and
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