The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-03-20
A MEMORY OF THE THeArsR.
The Haunting Song Heard During the civil
War by an Old Soldier.

Wnr Dy IN Oiu boiolcrs
"Once, in a captured city," said
m old soldier, II went to the thea
Ter. IL was a small city, but big
theater, not just hall, but a regu-
lar theater, with circular balcony
and boxes and scenery and foot
lights. 1t was dimly lighted. but it
had all the fascination of the theater
about it, tho fascination that every
theater has, bright or dim, filed or
empty, and this theater was doubly
fascinating To us because il was the
first one we had been in for years.
There wasn't a turn in the gallery
nor supporting pillar, not curve
in the front of the boxes nor touch
in the drapery of them that did not
fix our attention, and not gas jet
flickering above the line of footlights
that did not fill us with the delight
of the theater.
1.-The house was slim, very slim.
We had seats in the balcony because
they were cheaper. From where we
were we could count, including our
own party, IL. No doubt there were
some in the orchestra under the bal
cony that we didn't sec, but count
of so would doubtless have covered
all in the house. The town had been
occupied about a week. 1t was pret-
ty near the close of the war, and the
people must have been very poor.
That would account for the absencs
of the townspeople, and, as for the
troops, they hadn't been there long
enough to be settled, and the war
was still on, and perhaps the men
couldn't get out of camp, and there
may have been no recent pay day,
and very likely they didn't have any
money. but whatever the reason
there was scarcely anybody there.
Our little bunch of half a dozen peo-
pie made the only solid patch in the
house.
The show was variety, and most
of it was poor, but it was all deeply
interesting to us. and some of it,
too. was very good. There was one
song in particular that struck us all.
An old man with long white beard
and carrying spade tottered slow
ly tottered out from the wings and
came down the stage carrying the
spade ahead of him, as an old man
might carry cane, and using it as
such. Coming down to the footlights,
he sang in bass voice q song
about a gravedigger. For all know
the song is q famous one, but nev-
er heard it before, and i have never
heard it since. The singer had ster-
ling voice, and he sang the song we'll
indeed. / can give you a verse of it.
Perhaps this verse may be right, or
it may be that as / give it to you it
is made up of lines from various
verses, but this is it as / remember
ed it,:
"Near to the grave that was newly made
Leaned the sexton old on his earthworn spade.
A relic OF bygone days was he,
And his locks were white as the foaming sea.
And these words came from his lips so thin.
i gather them in gather them in
How well he did sing it! And we
all sat silently to tho end. And then
when he began to totter off we all
called for more. He came back, and
he sang it over again, three or four
times, till we could reasonably call
for no more.
Then the show went on, and we
enjoyed it all and staid to the end,
but the one thing that we remem-
bered and that has stuck to one of
the party at least ever since was
this, heard among strange surround.
ings and at time when death was
very active:
al gather them in, gather them in"