Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-07-17
Father. come Home. :

ihis popular song, which has
moved so many hearts IL this coun-
try, has been received with equal
favor i'll Europe, and The .SfQtf0ncg
gives an account OF the singing Of it
IN one OF the nusic-halls of London.
There was stage, with gaudy drop
scene, orchestra, etc. a fter various
nounced. The account SAYS:
Presently female came i'm front
of the curtain, amidst great applause.
and commenced Father, dear Faith
er, etc. Every word was distinct,
and she sang the ballad with great
feeling. In order, however, to fully
describe the scene which follows
each verse, it is necessary TO give
little Mary's' song:
q Father, dear father, come home with me
The clock in the steeple strikes One! CGong ~
10" PROMISED dear isther that ypu woniG
As soon as your days work was done.
our nre Is gone out house is al! dark
And mothers been watching since tea
w lth poor little Benny so sick IN her arms
And 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-scene drew up, disclosing
the rather sitting at the door of a
public house, i'll a drunken, bemud-
died 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, as she
took up the refrain from the lady,
and touchingly sang, Come home
etc. This other curtain was now
drawn aside, disclosing a wretched
room, with the poor mother sitting
on the ground with Il sickly-looking
boy in her lap, and III the act of feed
ing him with spoon. Simultanc-
ously with the drawing of the cur
tain the lime-light was brought to
boar upon the taOleaux giving them
a truly startling effecL. After a mo-
ment or two the act-dIop came down,
and the lady proceeded:
50 Father, dear father, come home with me
now,
The clock in the steeple strikes Two! (Gong,
The night has grown colder, and Benny Is
worse,
But he has been calm for Won.
Indeed he IS worse, mother says lie will die,
Perhaps before morning shall dawn
Come quickly, or he Will 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 il 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, and as it Just raises
its little head and falls back with a
gasp, with the lime-light rejecting
strongly upon it, there was reality
about the whole terrible TO view
Sobs were heard from all parts of the
hall, coming from the female portion
Of the audience, while tears trickled
down many u male-Check. Even the
lady who sang the song was affected
and could scarcely proceed with the
third verse:
" 'Fat"er, dear rather, come -ome with me
The clock in the steepic strikes Three! (Gong,
gong, gung.)
The house is SO lonely, .he hours are 50 long,
For poor weeping molher and me.
Yes, we are alone-poor Benny Is dead,
And gone with the an gels of light
And these were the very last words that hc said
want TO Kiss papa-goo night
Gome h?ne, come home como home,
"Again the drop arose, disclosing
| little Mary on her knees, appealing
| to her father, who with pot elevated
| is IN the act of striking her with it,
as she sings, Come home and then
| the back curtain draws aside show
ing the mother praying oyera child's
| coffin. But now the sobs burst out
still more freely, and two females
were carried out fainting. The scene
was truly narrowing, and we gladly
| turned our eyes away.
"An additional verse was sung
about Poor Benny being with the
angels above. The drop arose; the
father, sober now, is weeping ovel
| the coffin with the mother, and little
| Mary on her knees, singing, Hone,
| home, father, dear fathers come
homer At this moment the curtain
is drawn aside, and little Benny is
suspending over the coffin with
| wings, smiling down upon them and
| pointing upward. The father falls
| forward on his face, the act-drop de
| seends, aud for a few minutes all is
/ hushed save the sObs Of the females
"'There = said a working man 10y
our side, as he heaved a sigh of re.
lief, Mr.. SpurgeOn never preached {
better sermon than that Ian eX
preston to which we assented, and
! thon lift the hall -