The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-04-28
"GIvR Us A SONG. -

UAv6 OO n SVNUs
''Let me make the songs Of Nation
and care not who makes its laws
was an inspired utteranee. Vallandig-
ham said. in one of the fiery speeches
he delivered upon the war, that The
Star-epangled Banner" and ssYankee
Doodle" had done more to send men
to battle than forty years Of legisla-
ton. During the war blockade of
the Southern States prevented any ex-
portation of cotton. and the people of
Manchester, in England, who were en-
ployed in the factories were in great
distress. When the blockade was
raised and the cotton sent out, all the
men, women and children. to whom It
meant food. and drink and shelter.
thronged out to welcome its arrival.
and when they saw the great bales and
touched the white, fieecy mamma, they
broke ou. in one great cry of song:
Praise God from whom all blessings aow."
And this proved Carlyle true when
he said: " At the heart of all things is
music" The power Of song is beyond
reckoning: 2 -
"Glye rs . song. the soldiers cried, r. -
when the heated % guns S Of the c: Camps snied.
Grew weary of bombarding.
They sang of love, and not OF fame,
Each heart recalled q different name,
But all sang Annie Laurie"
It is one OF the rules Of . prominent
Eastern seminary for young ladies that
pupils shall not sing songs without per-
mission from the principal. The motive
OF this apparently arbitrary rule is fur
nished BY the fact that at an earlier
A~xy -hnn Ah> ,v>s L. ,--x.>
ular than it Is now, q pupil sat down to
the piano during an hour of recess in
the large study hall and sung "Home.
Sweet Home;" the whole school had
gathered about her, and all the girls
were weeping. A great wave of home
sickness swept the seminary, aud par
ents received melancholy letters. which
instituted inquiries; and there were no
moro songs OF . sentimental nature per-
mitted.
There Is something quaint and touch
Ing about the history of songs. Let
war break out in . country and poets
are inspired to sing patriotic verse. and.
like . magnetic current, the numbers
fash from the fireside to the battle
field.
"Tramp. tramp. tramp. the boys are
marching" was as universally known as
the English language.
"When this cruel war Is over" was
sung, whistled. played in hearth and
hall It Is not the words of the song,
but the air which makes it immortal; Il
is the movement of words without re.
gard to sense; but the. air and words
produce . combined harmony that is
grateful to the soul. Hsre 4 some.
thing that was never meant to be sung,
but some one saw future possibilities IN
it. and i has become ~ familiar as
household words: ~
I've sle,ter from thy sirs.
Baby mine! 49,,
Iean read and never tirN
Baby mine! x<
He HS !: !: ss,,ins com;Ssr 9,er Sc,Is sss g "a e
He is SS|!ns home to me.
Whom Christine Nilsson came first to
America, she was expected TO sing for
eign airs In an unknown tongue; she
did. and held great audiences spell
bound with her marvellous voice. But
when, in response to an encore, the
pretty. spoiled. willful songstress came
forward. with petulant shrug of her
shapely shoulders and vicious kick to
her satin train, she sang. ahI who can
ever forget it who heard her: s..
-wsy down upon the suwanoe Ribber.
Dar's wha my heart is turning ebbcr
Dar's wha de ole folks stay.
- An up and down de whole creation
Sadly roam.
6tili longing for de old plantation
And for do old folks II homo!
.An de world am ssd and dreary Z
Ebery VIVA roam. .tt fr-I. Et
Far % from de- aos Old Fl 9SIts nUa q me. o "eAS'
Songs used to be sung and never
written. 1t will be remembered how
the Scotch people received Sir Walter
Scott when he went among them to
write down their traditional songs
they resented their being put in print.
The troubadours and minstrels who
sang through the countries or olden
time were often lovers, poets or ambas-
sadors in disguise. They sang their
way ut court and at camp. and wiled
many q plan out Of the unwary. A
Hnusic store with its laden shelves alpha
betically arranged u . quaint study Tor
stores . young lady recently asked Q
bashful clerk. new to the business, il
he had ofj 60 doo ytE
"Dsrilns. We shall meet again : III,
He climbed . step-ladder and began
to investigate the "O's," and not dnd-
ing il among several hundred darlings,
asked the young lady: s =
"Will You take some other darlingf"
Then he stammered. and she blushed.
and he agonized over the DIS again:
"DarlIng. am growing old"
Darling. u your heart my own"
"Da ling. you are getting blld."
"Darifng. We must part to-nighe"
At last he found the right darling.
key of G. and delivered it.
"Grandfathcr's Clock" besieged the
ears OF the Nation for year aud then
ran down never to 60 again"
"Put away the little garments "C
That our darling used to wcar.
He will need them now no longer
He las climbe 4 the golden STAIR"
These pathetic lines first evoked
tears Of sentiment, then a reaction of
laughter set in, and innumerable paro-
dies; they were popular and touched a
tender chord In many a heart, but they
were travestied until they became the
expression of slang, instead Of feeling.
Some of the songs which have an al
most phenomenal popularity possess
the sentiments Of hymns. The "Sweet
Bye and Bye" belongs to this class;
the tune and the rhythm are harmo-
nious. and there is q peculiar chanting.
swaying air to the song that 10 like the
old negro camp meeting melodies. 1t
was sung in church and in the concert
saloon; played In the orchssers and