The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-16

had been brisk that night, even II no sounds OF
roveiry from there had boon heard while she
been almost continuous. Her face was flushed,
and there was no need of paint or powder TO
giSrins electric lamps Of the staee. 6ut her. voice
often failed In tho lighter notes. But all this
sho laughed off. and more than made up for by
her sensuous abandon of~mOvement and gesture.
What does IL matter what else she sang !
The audience whistled. shouted cat calls. and
thumped the tables to bring her, back, and when
she had resung the chorus OF her second song
she was followed by another girl. So In turn
came two others; each one an old iaEorite With
Now it wns the turn of a now member of the
company. She had boon there only since the
beginning of TINT week, and. although she mp.
pcarod each night In long skirts, and her songs
were not naughty. but pathetic, she had won
favor. She too was pretty, but hor rounded
form. her full lips, and sonsuous face. told all too
plainly the story Of her lte; @nd she nag a. sn nin : q
work behind the scenes. Her walk was ,n-
steady. ns she came upon the stage, and her
o1ling glanccs Of the coarse men before her. She
failed TO begin her song Mt the proper place with
the music tho first time she tried and answered
tho laugh of the audience with n coarse Jest.
Thon she began again, but tho song was set In
G low n So' ;. Tna t Pojn ,omsst to Of Gcr there iSSoo her 10 Y ioSi'
cate that the trouble was too much drink, she
yet kept tho mir going with what notes she could
Take another drink shouted the men and
the girl in red added u piercing yell Of dcrision,
Dut inc Rlrl blllleu anu began NOR ScCOnu SUNK.
Old jim was n character.
Well known about the town,
From singing in the village church.
He'd gained a great ronown.
As she sang n new EXPRESSION came into her
face. To the old Now Yorker, 1t seemed rs Il
that hal, full of chairs and tables and british
mon and women. faded from. her sight, and In
y Where p she fir stg learned saM p 70 sing sa0 Her feiis Voice en Ercw
clear and rich.
To hear him sins cnch Sunday morn to church the
good folks came.
And now her voice became tender:
but soon he drifted downward to a drunkard's life of
Though years had passed since poor old Jim from
church had strayed away.
He told the parson he would sing that coming Christ.
When Christmas came. within that church there sat
A sodden"d heart when Jim arose aud sang SO soft
and sweet;
And now again her voice arose clear and loud as
she broke into tho chorus. with words and mir so
well known to her in her pure life and so foreign
to the place where she stood:
Rock of ages. cleft for me-.
Each eye with tears was dim,
Fock OF ages. cleft for me.
That was old Jim's Christmas hymn.
Few, perhaps. in that audience Ind ever heard
the hymn in church, and there WINS no answer
ing applause as the singer disappeared behind
know. Automatically she left the stage when the
musicians dropped the accompaniment, hut she
stlll was singing. ftOCR or ages, Clelt Tor me,
she sang. ne She went back where the glasses
were still clinking and her gay companions sat,
Each eye with tears was dim.
Rock OF ages. cleft for me.
That was old inns Christmas hymn.
One did not neei to be behind the scenes to
know what happened. Wild iocrs burst from
each man and woman who was drinking there;
coarse words could be heard uttered in raillcry,
and yet still she sang:
Rock OF ages. cleft for me.
There was wild disorder bchi"d the scenes in
n tNaV,Nnt N than fhn AZ ntri 49,
hurried TO the stage door. Quarrels over the
pliinlcring of men. between the women inside
and those IN the hall, long ago taught the old
man to keep that door locked, and for n year or
show was going on. The old man unlocked the
door and disappeared behind it. and the look
upon his face was a combination OF
all the brutality that there was in
the audience. a few gruif tones were all that
the old New Yorker heard of what he said. but
the scenes. The old proprietor came forth
again. his cigarette glowing viciouslv beneath
his dyed musiache and his brows lowering. He
gave. II glance toward the musical director"
which told him what TO do.
There were still two numbers on the pro.
gramme, but there was to be no more chance
for scenes that night. The piano and fiddle
Joined in discords, the walters began gathering
up the programmes from the tables and the
knowing ones in the audience went out. In n
were cTtinSuishGd and the hall was lit only by n
gas Jet or two kept burning for that purpose.
The family party Ind gone when the row behind
the scenes began, the girl in red went out now,
walters woke the drunken man and pushed him
toward the door. Behind him went the old New
Yorker. Outside slect was falling and the
streets were white.