New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-17

mother But "Lucy" has IT least two ex1uiate-
IL poetical expressions in ii. while The Wa
bash has nothing OF the sort
But /, serves to bring the discussion TO the
element Of sentiment, in the songs Of the variety
stage When the song tries to be sentimental
At all its sentiment is always OF the noblest and
also OF the most obvious sort. There Is never
any quibbling and refining about II. 1t is
straight from the shoulder sentiment Mothers
are the favoritc subjects They are usually
dead The music hall audience is always ex-
perted To weep when il hears that anybodys
mother IS dead II the boys and the girls have
turned out thoroughly bad. great additional
pa;hos il supposed 10 be gained thereby. for II
Is no fault u their bringing up and their mothers
suffer SO much more. Song writers always
delight in making mothers suffer. II IS remark
able that From Prison To Mothers Grave" has
not become more popular. for II is typical
variety theatre pathetic song. In the sorrows
and death OF the mother. tn" badness II the
son. the expression of mock sentiment In clumsy
rhymed prose and the loss u the feet all the
way along from the prison TO the grave This
son. ii appears had killed his best friend. and
the song does not say how he got the privilege OF
going ~ prison for It. When his mother was
dying she longed TO hear his sweet voice Just
once more" and the song is guilty Of another
omission in neglccting to say why she had never
awaited herself OF any of the visitors days al
the prison. So she suggested that they should
throw open that large steel door and cast
his shacklcs all down on the floor" He must
have been indeed bad case. II he VAS Kept
shackled. but the he was the better the
song. AS has been said before. Some friends
OF the family called on the Governor. VINO
granted their request for the sons short release
with actual enthusiasm. though 1t appears thai
nothing was accomplished after ALL as the SO"
Only tn mothers grave and she did not
hear his sweet voice. The whole matter Is thus
summed up ia the chorus.
that convict To go.
Twas In answer To his mothers prayers pe-
cause she loved him so.
His only sister with broken heart, rained kisses
on her poor brothers brow.
Mother and brother both taken away. ho"
lonely twill be for her now.
Mark how well the writer OF this song k"e"
his business. IL anything could add 10 ''e
pa hos OF a mother dead and a son in prison
would be- a sister shut out from both the pr'so"
and the grave But there must not he Two SD
tcrs No. If the sister had another sister S"'
would not be- absolutely lonely. and the po'"'
would be lost. With true poctlcal instinct u''
writer saw that the prisoner must have one
sister and but one. Music hall pathos could so
no further. Do you think IL could? DO you re-
member that other typical song. Just IL"
Them That You Saw Me-" and do you th'hh
that this one might have been made more
pathetic still II the sister had turned out pau'
as well AZ the brother? Oh. not at all That
not the way. There must be at least one soo'
person left alive to do the suffering IL INC
mother had lived the sister might have he'peu
the song by going to the bad, but not with 'n'
mother dead. M