The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-08-06

f9Vn many heart back
THE4.1& 8a temptation It was on
mt Of doing, and binds the world
ether IN stronger bondEof brotherhood
man anything else of . hum.nixinR ten.
dency. But how much more effective
when aided by . little dramatic eject. A
London correspondent gives an affecting
description of the singing of the pathetic
ballad OF Father, Come Home" in one
OF the London theatres, which left but
few dry eyes in the house, and must have
nerved to stronger resolutions any present
who were In the habit of giving way to
The weakness of indulging in Intoxicating
drinks to excess. This correspondent,
describing the scene, says that the lady
came In front of the curtain, amid great
applause, and commsnced: Father, dear
father" &c. Every word was distinct,
and she sang the bal id with great feeling.
In order, however, to describe the scene
which followed each verse, it is necessary
to give little Mary's ;ong:
Father, dear Rather, co ne home with me now.
The clock in the steepe stikes one
You rr missed, dear faiter, that you would come
home,
As 5000 as your days work was done.
Our fire has gone out-our house is ali dark
And mothers been watching since tea,
With poor little Benny sick in her arms,
anu no one to help her but me.
Come home, come home, come home,
Please, father, dear father, come home"
At the conclusion of the last line, the
drop-sce1e drew up. disclosing the father
sitting at the door of 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, and she
took up the refrain from the lady and
touchi1gly sang, Some home" &c.
The other curtain was now drawn aside.
disclosing wretched room, with the
poor mother sitting on the ground with a
sickly looking boy in her lap, and in the
act of feeding him with spoon. Stimuli
taneously with the drawing of the cur
tain, the light was brought to bear upon
thetablcAnx,g giving them truly startling
effect. After q moment or two, the set
drop came down, and the lady proceeded
Father. dear father, come home with me now,
The clock In the steeple strikes two:
The night has grown colder, and Benny is worse,
But ne has been calling for you
Indeed he lie worse. mother says he viii die,
Perhsps before morning shall dawn.
And this lie the message che sent me to bring
Come quickly or he will be gone
Come home, come home, come home,
Please. father, dear father, como home"
The actdrop 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 las. two lines, "Come
home" &c, the other curtain is drawn
aside, and we next see the child stretched
out in its mothers lap, and it Just raise:
its little head and falls back with a gasp
With the lime light rejecting strongly
upon it, there was Q reality about ths
whole, terrible to view. Sobs were heard
from all parts of the hall, coming from
the female part of the audience, while tear
trickled down many a male cheek. Ever
The lady who sang the song was affected
and could scarcely proceed with the third
verse:
Father, dear father, come home with me now.
The clock in the steeple strikes threei
The house lie SO lonely, the hours are so long,
For poor weeping mother and ne.
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
Il want to kiss papa-good night II
Come home, come home, come home,
Please, father, dear father, come home"
Again the drop rose, and displayed
little Mary on her knees appealing to hel
father, who, with pot elevated. is in the
act of striking her with it, when she sipgs
"Come home, and then tie back curtain
draws aside, showing mother praying
over child's coffin. Blu. now the sobs
break out more freely, and two females
are carried out fsinting. The scene wa.
most truly narrowing.
An additional verse was sung abou,
"poor Benny" being with the angels
above. The drop rose, the father, sober
now, is weeping over the coffin, with little
Mary on his knees, singing, alone
home, fathers come homel" At this
minute the curtain is drawn aside, and
little Benny is suspended over the ccffiu
with wings. smiling down on them and
pointing upward. The father falls for.
ward upon his face, the act-drop descends
and for minute all is bushed save the
sobs of the audience. -Househald Maga-
zine.