Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-05-17
From Chambers Journal.l
SONG AND SYMPATHY,

In one of those long streets stretching
from Buckingham Palace Road across
railway bridges far away to the fog-op-
pressed "dark flowing" Thames, a
thoroughfare perplexing in the sameness
of It's houses-which only differ from
each other In the number on their doors
and distressing in it's duIIness and want
of expression, stood one night in "bleak
December" two years ago, a strange
figure. 1t was man; but other evi-
dence than that of the eyes was neces-
sary to convince an inquirer of the fact:
for the wind was blowing hard, and the
snow was falling, or rather rushing down
from the dark sky with binding impetu-
oslty; and the object referred to looked.
al first sight, something like an old coat
hug upon a spike of area-railing. and
fastened thereto by rude kind of knot
at its top; while the sleeves were
stretched out on each side, caught, as it
were, on other failing spikes: and the
legs-if the object had any-were lost to
view IN the shifting white and black of
fresh-fallen and melting snow on the
pavement. 1t had all the appearance,
Indeed, of a scarecrow, though, upon
closer investigation, it proved to be, as l
have said, a man.
Drawn close up to the ratings, to
which he was tightly clinging, as though
afraid of being swept away by the cruel
wind, and with his face partly thrust be-
tween two of the spikes, as il to conceal
it from the passers-by, the scarecrow
gave the required evidence that Ii was
man, by singing IN a piping, wheezy
voice, q song, the burden Of which, re-
peated over and over again, so often that
it seemed as If all the song was COM
posed of it alone, was, "Mother, dear
Mother p
Mother, dear mother!" came the
words again and again IN an ascending
scale, until they almost approached a
faint scream. Across the area they
went, contending with the rushing wind
In a competitive attack upon the dining
room window of the house; until at last
@FSong" seemed to have won victory in
his assault upon the pIate-glass guard
ed fortress; for the blind was pulled up,
and flood of warm light fell upon the
pinched and wan face of the singer,
whose voice was hushed as Sympathy"
looked out upon him. ssSympathy'
was none other than beautiful elderly
lady. Seated alone she had been, in a
low armchair, seeking faces In the fire
and dreaming dreams of early days, of
maturer years, of happiness and grief, of
storm and sunshine, when her thoughts
were arrested by the weary song of the
singer" Mother, dear mother!" "With
anxious, softly stepping haste" she went
to the window, and Song" and "Sym-
pathy"-the latter reused by the former
were face to face.
The bright light of the fire and wax
candles revealed to the strange minstrel
face of calm dignity and almost holy
benevolence. A pair of clear, kind gray
eyes looked out upon the clustering,
rude night and the tousled old man: and
the contrast between the comfortable,
peaceful room and the storm-drowned
street was not greater than that between
the dignified dweller in the former and
the poor, drenched creature outside.
To some people, the discovery that
the singer of a disiointed street song
with It's overcoming cry of 4" Mother,
dear Mother y was toothless old man
some seventy odd years of age, would
have been a subject fer ridicule. It was
not SO to the lady at the window. Cur
thoughts are often beyond our control,
and, like l.orse that takes the bit in
its mouth and bolts with its rider, FIRE.
quently carry us whittier we least expect
to CO. So it was in this case. No one
would be able to trace any resemblance
between the street singer, the street OF
which Z am speaking, the blusterous
dark night, and beautiful boy with
dark curly hair, lovely cottage embow.
cred with roses deep In the Weald Of
Surrey, and hot June afternoon; and
yet it was to these last that the thoughts