Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-07-04
EVER OF Thee"
Perhaps the most ropuIar song

tainly no publisher eyer reaped 81
much profit from a song as did MI
Turn from the publication 0
"EyeI of Thee" But there is re
nance attaching to 1t which unit
now has not been written.
it happened in this way Un
cold day IN the January of 1S5'
the door Of Mr.. Turner's music-shol
IN the Poultry, London, was ner
vOusly opened, and a most uncleal
ragged specimen CT humanity orag
! ged himSeltln
( He looked as If be hadn't beer
wo0hed for months. His beard wal
unkempt, aud dirty and matted
For boots he wore some folds O
dirty rags, and in all he was Z
specimen OF the most degraded
class OF that community.
One of the clerks SAID to him
"NOu get out OF here"
Tie TWO ladies who happened 10
be in the shop noticed his woe
begOne look, and were about to
offer him some money, when a Mr.
Ia clerk in the establishment,
seeing the poor fellow shivering
with cold and apparently hungry,
| pitied him and brought him into
The workshop 50 that he might
have "warm-up' by the stove. \
few minutes after, Mr.. Turner, the
proprietor, me in and seeing the
ragg d Individual asked what be
wanted and "who allowed him in ~
81 did," SAID Mr.. T.; 'the poor
fellow looked so cold and misera-
ble couldn't send him out IN the
piercing wind without giving him
a warm, and, besides, he says he
has some business with you"
Business With me :"
eyes, sir, 1 have a song l should
like YOU to listen TO-"
Turner eyed him from head tc
foot, and then laughed outright.
The miserable-looking object at
the stove began to grow uneasy,
and begged to he allowed to play
the air o. his song, which he then
uuearthed from his rags, and hand
eG to The music Publisher. Turner
looked at it and said
"Nho wrote this ?"
81 did, sir came from the rags.
"YOu. Well, I'll have it played
over, andif it's any good I'll give
you some thing for it,
II beg your pardon, sir, l prefer
to play it myself"
"What you play Well, brlug
him up to the piano room when he
gets warm, and we'll humOr him."
In a 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 the dllapidated-
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 finished he turned to
his little audience and said:
I'D like to sing for you, but |
have a terrible cold. | haven't
been IN bed for five nights. Pm
hungry, sir, and feel l could not
do 1t Justice"
Turner was almOsS dumb with
amazement. The air would taken {:
ne knew it would be a success and
be decided that this man had a
history which, perhaps, might al
vertise the song. So he determined
to cultivate him, and in flattery (as
he though0, pressed him to sing
"iust one stanza."
Lawson protested, but finally
Eagreed, and If Turner was amazed
when he heard him play, he was
lpostively enraptured with that
hungry voice, hungry with love
hungry physically, pouring out in
the sweetest OF tenOrS the first
stauza of the song in which his sou
lived.
it was the story of lost love, bu
lhe cherished IL, and as he sang it
was easy to see that he lived and
breathed only for that love.
"Ever OF Thee" has never beer
so sung since. But that trial verse
made It's success, and to the ex
perlenced publisher, Mr.. Turner, l
was decidedly apparent that b
had secuIel great song.
Addressing Mr.. The said
"Mr' t, take this man along ge
him bath, a shave, some decen
clothes in fact, fix him up like
gentleman and bring him here ant
we shall Sc : about this song"
T-"toOk him along" He tool
to bath, and while the unclear