Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-02-07

home and recalled all the old and touching
ballads could think Of, and made list Of
them. 1t was, perhaps, the remembrance of
Mr.. Robson's custom Of reading out the titles
| Of all the ballads on his "apenny' song-sheet
when he scuified on to the stage which led
NE to do this. As nearly as | can reeollect
the list was as follows
"If | Had Donkey What Wouldn t
| Co"
''Oyer the HIS an Far Away
l'In of to Charlestown"-
"Good-By, Sweet cart, Good By -
Mary Blaine"-
20, Tell Me that You're True to Me-
I'd be a Butterfly
Red, White and Blue
The Fisherman's Chorus
I'm AAoat. I'm Afloat''-
The Flowers are Blooming
Come into the Garden, Maud
Il Should Like to Marry
THE Girl Left Behind Me-
When in Death shall Calmly Reeline''--
Kiss Me Quick and let me Co
Upon the Sands at Margate''-
Il Love to Roam by the Dark Sea Foam -
Love Not
Drops o Brandy
%, Say not W oman's Love is Bought" "
Mr.. Robson always gave these titles in
couplets, and, after the last one, without a
moments pause or change of voice. lie added
the usual song yenders's finale Of ''All for
the small charge Of one 'apenny.'
|, however, determined to 90 more into the
touching business. and raked up
She Wore a Wreath of Roses
Maid of Athens, Ere we part
Kathleen Mayouneen''-
"Once | Loved Maiden Fair
Happy LAND
and other time .honored fayorites Of the pro-
fessional curb-stone singer. But l had
reckoned without my host When | came
10 inquire. found that 'my little family
knew them not. and | was obliged to let
them - through their own regular pro-
| gamme, taking the chance Of joining in when
/ could.
was At oar trusting place at the appoint
! ed hour and there stood my temporary in-
ye~tment Of agS and tatters shivering in the
biting wind. They were bareiooted and had
only an old and very thin shawl each to
cover their heads and shoulders They did
not know me at first And no wonder
wa, elaborately got up for the occasion in
| true curb-stone singer costume, and had an
old wooden comforter wound two or three
times round my neck, covering the lower part
Of my face.
"Oh. that, YOU. is it2' said the elder
girl. as took hold Of her arm ''ain't YOU
late go
told her that it was Just eight o'clock
and inquired their respective names.
Mes Mag, an she's Lottie, she replied.
And then She added sharply, Say. old 'un
amt You going to stand US no supper afort
we start? Its id cold, an we're as hun
gry As the devil"
started in astonishment at this prema
turely old child That they would be hun
| gry was a certainty. They had probably
never eaten a hearty meal in their lives and
had intended to give them one Ibeiore part
ing with them But the girls assurance
startled me, and her language, though it did
not surprise, distressed me WAS also q
little taken aback at being 81 coolly ad
dressed aS odd 'n." However. I told
them to wait where they We're, and hurried
/ down % Third Avenue. and bought some
cold meat and bread for them at an eating
saloon. On my return, they seated them
selves on q doorstep. and the bread and
meat disappeared with marvellous rapidity
When they had finished, Mag Mortified me
! by demanding "a drop Of something to warm
Us.
-ternly refused to- do any,hing Of tn,
sort.
Mother aller- gives Us something on .
night ike this, reioined the girl, and
amt 'goin to sing without it-are you
Lott"
Lot signiGed an indignant refusal
oh, Odger. Bradlaugh, Beales, Mundell.
and Others of your kidney, why did YOU eve
plant your hateful theory Of strikes in th'
human brain Here had only been an EN-
ployer of two young children of fifteen min
ute, and they had the hariihood to strik,
for glass of rum apiece Ii is horrible t,
think Of Still | did not feel inclined I,
throw up my enterprise and ! made dis
| graceful compromise with my conscience BY
insisting that they should only have on'
drink between them feel uneasy Il
mind now as recall theappalling guSto witt
which they ~macked their lips on leaving th'
gin-mill. The vile stuff did not even bring
the water into their eyes.
In order to drive the repulsive scene from
my thoughts | hurried them along Lexing
I
vocation in Thrty-ninth street, my intention
being to beat backward and forward in tn,
streets living between Tenth and Sixth ave
nues, as sportSmen beat mp and down thu
woods for game.
Mag opened with Put Ne in my LITTLE
Bed, in a not unmusical voice, Lottie and
Joining in the chorus at the end Of each verse
They both sang out to their full power ant
thoroughly aroused the echoes in the quie
Of the night.
After we had sung several verses, my ca
caught the sound Of smiling sob by m,
side looked down and found Lottie cry
ing
"Hullo' whats the matter, little wo
man3' | exclaimed aloud, thoroughly thrown
of my guard.
The only answer She youehsafed to m,
sympathetic inquiry was hasty sono roc
intimation that | should cheese it
In an instant L saw my error. The prac
ticed ear of this accomplished little artist
had caught the sound of the latch of tn
basement door, and she was indulging in
little by-play in order to harrow up the feel
ingS to the regulation eleemosynary standar'
of any one who might come out.
\ colored woman was our first victim
Whether she was cook or chambermaid o
course | knew not, but her sylnpathies le
her to present Us with the muniicent con
tribution Of two cents, for which warml,
thanked her. The cold air drove her il
doors again; and Mag, who was evidently q
an economical disposition, started on with
out finishing her song.
As we walked along, Mag remarked in tn
| most buSnesS-hke Of tones
Say, old 'un, | guess III hos the talkin'
I'm more used to it like
| had no objection to offer to this arrange
ment; and, as we neared the other end @
the block, Mag pulled up and again starte
Put Me in my Little Bed. There wer
lights in the basement, lights III the parloi
and ON the floor above but, beyond som
one turning the parlor shutters for me
ment and peering out at Us, We sang an
sang in vain. So We edged on across tn
avenue, and crawled toward Madison avenu
at a snail pace, singing as we went.
The appearance Of some ladies and gentle
men from one of the houses at once gave tn
girls violent attack of the shiyerS-Mag $
badly. that her voice shook and Lottit
that she sobbed again.
"What a shame to keep children ont beg
Elig III the stitet~ suSH Il hlshl u lhI>,
said one Of the ladies, from behind her sea
, skin muff "For Heavens sake, give thel
something. Harry. The more they get tn
sooner they'll go home. "
! Mr. Harry did as he was bid, an
dropped ten-cent stamp into Mag's tren
bling hand.
On reaching Broadway, we doubled bac
down Thirty-eight street, and led of wit
''Down in a Coal Mine,'' with great spiri
- soon as We had passed three or four houses
Bat down in Coal Mine" didn't draw
and suggested to Mag to try something {
a more sentimental order She then brok
n out with Nv caring of the Green, and wit
2 more success; for before she had finished,
nice, kind hearted looking old lady emerge
/ from the basement, with a light shaw
e | thrown hastily over her bead