, 1886-01-30
MAKING SWEET SONGS.
THE WORK DONE BY A WRITER, J
SINGER AND A TOlLER.
Aunt Becky's' Little Back Parior II
rittsburg from which Came Forth
Many Beautiful Meiodies-A
Story of Three Friends.

Who has not been awakened from sleeT
In the early morning hours by some party
OF home-going jewellers singing, away
down upon the Suwanee riveri" The me
lodious music invades the half-roused
senses like a dream, and the dreamer does
not resist II. He closes his eyes again 70
listen-motionless. He has heard The old
song many times before; he can anticipate
every word and note; there Is no novelty
In il for him, but he is not provoked at
being awakened. He listens dreamily
and lets the music bring TO him thoughts
OF home-not the home of his manhood
made happy by wife and children, but the
dream home of his childhood, where
mother was.
The old o never grows old. Every.
body sings 1t and everybody loves to hear
1t sung. No matter at what time or place
its music rises, there will be found a re.
spectful audience. Not even the street
gamin will cry "chestnutslr He instinct
lively respects the song of home without
knowing why.
JOURNALIST, MUSICIAN AND MECHANIC.
There stood in the city OF P%ittsburg,
forty years ago, n cottage mt 81 Pearl
street. 1t was n cosy home, with vine
covered windows and a broad hearthstone.
1t was the home of Charles p. Shiras and
his mother, familiarly known to her
friends as Aunt Becky Shiras. Charles
Shirns had two particular friends of his
W age, Stephen G. Foster and John
Hull. These men had been companions
from their boyhood, and death alone
broke off their friendship.
Shiras was a literary genius. He was
well-educated, brilliant, and possessed Of
n fertile, active mind. He was ambitious
and animated by the noblest purposes.
For some years, and at the time Of his
death, he was connected with The Pitts
burg Commercial journal. All his liter.
airy work was full OF merit, and many OF
his productions gained wide attention.
He published two small volumes of poems,
the best known OF which are dollars and
Dimes;n Redemption of Labor inc The
Iron City These he considered his best
work, but he strangely refused to pub
licly acknowledge the authorship Of the
beautiful songs which would have given
his NAME, with hat Of Foster, a world
wide fame. He erred in his judgment of
the effect they would produce, and, in his
ambition for higher flights, considered
them childish and foolish.
Foster was n musician and composer.
His soul was full Of the poetry Of sound.
He had a fine, effeminate face, and his
nature was as soft and yielding rs a
maiden's. He was a dreamer, often sad
and melancholy, and every bar of his
beautiful, simple music is marked with
the characteristics of his nature. He
found close sympathy in the fine, poetic
mind Of Shiras, and both found sym
pathy and encouragement in the more
rugged and aggressive nature OF their
mutual friend, Hull.
Hnn yaq "a mechanic xyarlfpn for bfa
daily bread from earliest boyhood. I'm
like his friends. he had no education, but
the circumstances of his life gave him
strong, good sense and clear judgment.
He was n lover OF the beautiful, and he
found much to admire in his friends
Shiras and Foster. He had a musical
voice, and Foster, who could not sing,
Taught him music. He had n retentive
memory, and from Shiras he learned
much OF literature. He became the
critic of the productions Of both his
friends, and his Judgment Of a poem or a
song was to them all sufficient.
RI OF KINDRED SPIRITS.
And so a beautiful friendship existed
between these three in boyhood, in youth,
and until their early manhood, when
Shiras died. They were together during
all their leisure time, and "many happy
RhAf NAtN III ANhAAN BtAhl
Shiras' little back parlor. 1t was here
that Shiras, In his resting moments, wrote
those beautiful songs to please his friend
Foster; it was here that Foster composed
music for them TO please himself and his
friend Hull, and it was here that Hull
sang them for the pleasure of all.
The first song they published was "Old
Uncle Ned Foster sold 1t to n Pittsburg
house for 500. With his money he pur-
chased a small piano and placed 1t in
AUNT Becky" Shiras' little parlor. And
on this little piano was afterward played
music which has gon around the world.
sold Uncle Ned made its appearance
about the year 1850, and Immediately be
came popular. Within three years later
Shiras and Foster together produced @Old
Folks Mt Home, - ~"Susannah, Don't You
Cry" Gentle ANNIE Hard Times Come
Again No More my Old Kentucky
Home" "Massa's in de Cold, Cold,
Ground" "Old Dog Tray" willie,
We Have Missed YOU "Come Where My
Love Lies Dreaming and others fully rs
popular.
1t Is certain that Shiras wrote the lines
Of nearly all these songs, except Come
Where My owe Lies Dreaming Foster
was willing and anxious To- share their
authorship with his friend Shiras, but the
latter often laughingly told Foster that he
was welcome TO all the reputation he
would get from their publication.
Poor Shiras died when he WAS % years
old, before he dreamed that the songs
which he had written in an idle fancy, ~
a mere pastime, would live in every home
In the Christian world. Mrs. lane Swiss
helm wrote his obituary. He left n young
wife and a girl baby. This baby is now o
buxom wife and mother OF babies.
Foster lived some years after the death
OF his friend. He went to New York city
where he died in 1864, from the effects OF
a fall in the Bowery. He was widely known
and very popular. His funeral WAS at
tended largely by the literary, theatrical
and musical classes.
Aunt Becky" Shiras, who 80 often
scolded "the boys" for staying up late at
night and making so much noise in heI
back parlor, has passed away. And so has
John Hull, who first startled good Aunt
Becky" with the rafting rhythm OF sold
Uncle Ned and soothed her with the mel
ody OF ~Massa's in de Cold, Cold Ground
All are dead. But their music WIN live
as long as there are homes.-Paul Hull In
Chicago News.
The Ok Folks Dislike Them.
There Il n GROWING Qrudpe aOainsf