The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-02

John Adams he courted the livery Miss Jones,
But never asked when she woald wed;
The consequence was, as is often the case,
That some one else asked in his stead, |
This song bears the appropriate motto, |
''Theres many q slip 'twixt the cup and the
lip" After several striking instances of the
application of this proverb, it ends with
piece of excellent advice:-
Is there any young gent at this concert tonight,
With the girl OF HIS heart by his side?
Ifyou mean all you say, nx the wedding day,
Buy the ring and proclaim her your bride.
In the same page is another song, which
might have been ranged under the sane title.
A gentlemen arrives rather late with bis
guitar under lady's window. Another gem
tleman with a guitar, aud also ladder Of
ropes has been there before him:-
whats this on the ground" quoth he,
at is plain that she loves,
Here's some gentlemans gloves,
And they never belonged to me-"
II is remarkable that man is almost always
the victim in these tragedies. But here, by
way of change, is ballad of love-sick
maiden
had martial lover, one who noble looked and
A. trombone player in the Horse Guards Sunday
morning band.
With poetical disregard of history, the song
states that the handsome bandman of the
Guards was sent with his regiment TO New
Zealand--
And whether he got tomahawked or naturally died,
Got eat up by the natives wild or took tattOoed
cannot tell but 1 know well, while sleeping all
alone,
dream OF Peter Ppeclay playing tunes on his from
bone.
In the same column is a prophecy written
for the beginning of the present year. The
Poor Law Guardians have resolved, it seems,
to try the "black holes" themselves before
putting paupers into them. Tradesmen will
supply genuine articles of full weight. Land
lords will not distrain for rent. Cabmen may
charge what they like. Penny pies will con-
tain rump-steak. The railways will not kill
above ten men q day. The Crystal Palace
will open on Sunday at a penny head, and
With poor ould Ireland Gladstone and Bright
VIII do the proper and make 1t all right.
Whatever they act at music halls, they GER
tainly speak excellent morality. Here and
there we find song which tells of other than
merely sentimental sorrows. "Hope for the
Best" is the title of a very mournful ballad,
which describes the suiferings of the artisans
of London
Provisions are high, mems wages are low,
And all kinds OF trade is at stand,
When in want Of q meal to their uncles they go,
Is the case with the poor workingman.
If that is not rhyme it is truth. 1t is long
lane, says the chorus, that has no turning, and
let us hope that the rich will turn their
thoughts towards the suffering poor. The
author OF this song accepts society as it is,
and seeks only to improve its working. 1t is
remarkable that Socialism and other extreme
opinions are almost entirely unrepresentsd in
these broadsheets.
There is touch of genuine poetry in the
following
The star in the east twas once shining bright
And plenty Of work all around,
The shp-bullding trade is in a sad plight,
In the warehouses trades men are found.
The concluding lines are forcibly applica-
Ia fr fha
Starvation is staying far more than the sword,
It's made widows and orphans you'll own.
II the wealthy give money for charity abroad,
The poor should be thought OF at home.
The author of "The Man at the Wheel
must be real poet-
I'm steersman on the bright blue Thames,
Aboard penny boat.
To forget the true color of the Thames
shows strong power of Imagination. The
author of the 'Periwinkle Man" is entitled to
high place among moral teachers. The
| lesson which he enforces is that no man can
tell what luck NAV be IN store for him if he
only takes care to be in the way of it when ii
comes. He resolves to stick to the periwin-
kle trade in spite of every disappointment,
and SO
Some day may be seen as purveyor to the Queen
The Prince OF Wales and Royal Family
! Making bold enough to ask, taking pleasure in the
task,
II her Majesty would like some wrinkles for her tea
The proportion of slang to common English
in these songs is perhaps net so large as
might have been expected. The most absurd
and inane compositions of the music halls are
of course to be found in these sheets, but
there could hardly be more forcible censure
of the Champagne Charlie" style than is
conveyed in the septuagenarian's song
To hear them praise sparkling wine
1t make q man severe,
When he knows they cannot raise the price
OF half q pint OF beer.
It should be added that the old song:
which fill up the sheets are almost without
exception good. The best known of Dibdin 1
compositions are a never-failing stop-gap
halls is united with work of enduring
texture.