Morning journal and courier., 1889-06-28
Story or a song.
IEnglish Paper.l

 Perhaps the most popular song ever writ- ten was 'tEver of Thee" It is not untrue to state that no song ever had such sale, and certainly no publisher ever reaped so much profit from 6 song as did Mr. Turner from the publication of "Ever of Thee" But there is a romance at taching to it which until now has not been written.
 It happened in this way: On 6 cold day in the January of 1850 the door of Mir. Turn CTS music shop, in the Poultry, London, was nervously opened, and most unolean, rag ged specimen of humanity dragged himself in. He looked as though he hadn't been washed for months. His beard was unksmpt, and dirty, and matted. For boots he wore some folds of filthy rags, and in all he was @ specimen of the most degraded class of the community.
 One of the clerks said to him: "You get out of here"
 Two ladies who happened to be in the shop noticed his woe begone look, and were about to offer him some money, when MT. T-{a clerk in the establishment), seeing the poor fellow shivering with cold and ap- parent hunger, pitied him aud brought him into the workshop so that he might have . "warm up" by the stove. A few minutes after, MT. Turner, the proprietor, came in, and, seeing the ragged individual, asked what he wanted, and "who allowed him inf"
 stI did" said MT. T.; "the poor fellow looked SO cold and miserable couldn't send him out in this piercing wind without giving him a warm, and, besides, he says he has got some business with you" Business with mer
 "Yes, sir; have song should like you to listen to-" Turner eyed him from head to foot, and then laughed outright.
 The miserable looking object at the stove began to grow uneasy, and begged to be al" lowed to play the air of his song, which he then unearthed from his rage and handed to 1 the music publisher. Turner looked st 1t and said: "I did, sir" came from the rags. "You We'll, I'll have it played over, and | if it's any good I'll give you something for ! ..I beg your pardon, sir; I'd prefer to play \ is for myself"
 "whatl you playa Well, bring him up to ! the piano room when he gets warm and | we'll humor him."
 In few minutes the bundle of rags was seated at the concert grand piano, and "Evel ! of Thee" was played for the first time by its composer, James Lawson. ! His listeners were electrified when they | heard this dilapidated looking tramp make l the piano almost speak. His touch wal simply marvellous, and his very soul seemed | to be at his finger tips. When he had in ished he turned to his little audience and said:
 ''Pd like to sing 1t for you, but have ter rible cold. I haven't been in bed for 6vt
 nights. Pm hungry, sir, and feel could not do it justice"
 Turner was almost dumb with amazement The air would take; he knew it would be
 success, and he decided that this man had ,
 history which, perhaps, might advertise thu
 song. So he determined to cultivate him and in fatterY Gas he thought pressed him tt ! sing fsiust one stanZa." Lawson protested but finally agreed, and if Turner was amazed ! when he heard him play, he was positivel,
 enraptured when that hungry voice, hungr.
 with love, hungry physically, poured out il the sweetest of tenors the first stanza of tn,
 song in which his soul lived.
 It was the story of a lost love, but he cher ished it, and as he sang 1t was easy to SCI
 that he lived and brsathed only for tha love. siEver of Thee" has never been & | sung since But the trial verse made its sue
 cess, and to the experienced publisher, MT
 Turner, 1t was decidedly apparent that h had secured great song.
 Addressing MT. T., he said: "Nr
 T., take this man along; get him bath
 a shave, some decent clothes; in fact, fix hir up like a gentleman, and then bring hin here and we shall see about this song" T. s'took him along" He took hir
 to bath, and while the unclean was bein made clean, he bought for him shirt, pair of shoes, some socks, collars, cuffs ur ,i derwea1. Then he had him shaved. The