San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-07-17
STORY OF A SONG.


ever reaped so much profit from a song as
did Mr.. Turner from republication of Ever
of Thee" But there is a romance attaching
to it which until now has not been written.
1t happened in this way: On cold day in
the January of 1850 the door of Mr. Turner's
p,usic shop, in the Poultry, London, was ner-
yousy opened, and most unclean, ragged
specimen of humanity dragged himself in.
He looked as though he hadn't been washed
for months His beard was unkempt and
dirty, and matted For boots he wore some
folds of filthy rags, and in all he was a speci-
men of the most degraded class of the com
munity.
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 Mr.. T Ia
clerk in the establishment, seeing the poor
fellow shivering with cold and apparent
hunger, pitied him and broNght him into the
workshop so that he might haveN warm
up" by the stove. A few minutes after, Mr..
Turner, the proprietor, came in, ana, seeing
the ragged individual, asked what he wanted,
and ''who allowed him in3"
Il did" said Mr.. T; 1.-THE poor fellow
looked 50 cold and miserable | couldn't send
him out in this piercing wind without giving
him warm, and, besides, he says he has got
some business with you"
Business with me?"
"Yes, sir; have a 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
allowed to play the air of his song, which he
then unearthed from his rags and handed to
the music publisher. Turner looked at it and
said:
who wrote this?'
Il did, sir" came from the rags.
"You! Well, I'll have it played over, and
if it's any good I'll give you something for
it,"
Il beg your pardon, sir; I'd prefer to play
it for myself"
What! you play' 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 Ever
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
the piano almost speak. His touch was
simply marvellous, and his very soul seemed
to be at his finger tips. When he had fin
ished he turned to his little audience and
sod:
I'D like to sing it for you, but I have
terrible cold l haven't been in bed for five
nights. I'm hungry, sir, and ! feel could
not do it Justice"
Turner was almost dumb with amazement
The air would take; he knew it would be q
success. and he decided that this man had
history which, perhaps, might advertise TIE
song. So he determined to cultivate him,
and in hattery as he thought pressed him to
sing Just one stanZa." Lawson protested,
but finally agreed, and if Turner was amazed
when he heard him play, he was positively
enraptured when that hungry voice, hungry
with love, hungry physically, poured out in
the sweetest Of tenOrs the first stanZa Of the
song in which his soul lived
II was the story of lost love, bat he cher
ished it, and as he sang it was easy to see that
he lived and breathed only for that love
Ever of Thee has never been so sung since.
But that trial verse made its success, and to
the experienced publisher, Mr.. Turner, it was
decidedly apparent that he had secured
great song.
Addressing Mr.. T, he said: Mr. T,
take this man along; get him bath, ashave,
some decent clothes; in fact, fix him up like
gentleman, and then bring him here and we
shall see about this song
T took him along" He took him to
bath, and while the unclean was being made
clean, lie boHght for him shirt a pair of
wear Then he had him shaved Then they
hied to a clothiers, and having removed the
rags lawson was quickly clad in fine raj
ment. The change was beginning to tell
Already the tramp seemed to be the guide
and treasurer He was splendid looking
fellow and had quite a distingue appearance.
But the hat was still there, and mirror like
chimney pot was purchased TO complete the
make up. r laughed when all was fin
ished He was in his working clothes, and
this unfortunate looked like a duke. The
good clothes fitted him, and they suited him
and his appearance much too well to continue
the assumption that Mr. Lawson was
tramp He was a gentleman all over, and
he looked IT, T said 10 hun:
"Mr. lawson, | wish you would 60 into the
shop before me. They won't know you, and
it will be such a joke
II don't mind that, Mr.. T, but won't
you let mo have drink want iJ-ploase
LEI mo have a drink"
r refused 10 sand the drink hetoli Mr..
lawson that 10 he wanted a dinner no could
have Il, but driuk he could not have Finally
tho two went into the Ship and Turtle din
ing roOnls, and over chocolate aud sirloin