The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-30
THE FIDDLE AND THE BOW.
Subject of Gov. TayIOr's Lecture Be-
fore the Savannah Lyceum.

Subject of Gov. TayIOr's Lecture Be-
fore the Savannah Lyceum.
Gov Bob" Taylor's remarkably inter-
esting, bright ana entertaining lecture on
his characteristic subject, THE Fiddle and
the Bow" at the Guards Hall last night,
was most appropriately preceded by we'll
rendered violin selection by Miss Jean
Taylor, a niece Of Gov. Taylor. She was
accompanied by her sister, Mrs. Mary Kei-
lar, and at the conclusion of her enter
tanning performance the applause was
continuous for more than minute. She
responded with a selection calculated to
touch the pathetic chords of the hardest
heart.
Miss Taylor's playing of the violin was
remarkable and the audience gave full ex-
preston of appreciation for her efforts.
The Guards Hall has not held a larger
audience for any lyceum lecturer than
that which greeted Gov. Taylor. He was
applauded as he entered the hall with his
party AS the applause following the de-
lightful music died away Col. P. A. Sto-
vail introduced the speaker. He referred
to Gov. Taylors three terms as Governor
of Tennessee, and speaking of his former
visit TO Savannah and said Savannah, like
Tennessee, is not opposed TO a third term.
Gov. Taylor went at once into his sub
ject. The words, well chosen, grouped in
rhetorical beauty and artistic figure, flow
ed like the clear crystal water from a
well-spring Back to the days of Adam
and Eve he went. speaking of the beau
ties of nature that surrounded them
Great was the fortune given up, he said
when Paradise was lost. There was not
a painted face in Eden. Raiment
was an afterthought, born of original sin
Eve was dressed in sunshine, and Adam
was clad in climate" Bright and humor-
GUS was his descriptive eloquence
OF all musical instruments the sweetest
he said, is that of the fiddle and the bow
IL has told the story of human lives-of
the pure love of man and woman-a story
conceived in heaven, seen first in Eden
and coming down to this day until it
brings US to Paradise regained His de-
| scription of dream into which music car
ried him was realistic and amusing, Young
man. he said, if you want to win her.
| don't stay around the streets of Savan-
| nah but go out and swing her in the
grapevine swing.
Gov. Taylor then sang a stanza
| from the well-known song, Swinging
in the Grapevine Swing" He interspersed
| his lecture with characteristic songs
which were much enjoyed. His descrip-
ton of child fife was beautiful and pa
| thetic. All that remains to us of Para
| disc Lost Is the home. There innocence
| and purity dwell there woman reigns I'M
tainted by the fall. Make your home
bright and beautiful. 1t ought to be a
| law, he said, that none but fat men and
bald-headed men could be the heads of
families. There is more music in a fat
mans laugh than in a dozen orchestras,
and there is nothing more good-natured
than the baldheaded man. Young ladies
| cultivate the fat man and the baldheaded
| man, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
| The speaker told a pathetic story of a
| prisoner who made a fiddle during his
| spare moments and sent it to him as Gov
| ernor with the request that he play one
| time upon 1t at home with his family, and
think of a log cabin far away where a
family was waiting for him. On Christmas
eve that man was with is family, where he
| doubtless took from the wall his own old
fiddle and played Home Sweet Home. "
He had been criticized, he said, for a lib
eral use of the pardoning power, but he
had seen the old mother with white locks
swoon before the Governors chair, the
| wife and seven children clad In rags, the
little one climb upon the Governors knee,
put her arms around his neck with tears
in her eyes, and appealing for her convict
father. ask Haven't you got little girl
at homer"
II tell YOU" he said, "the man who does
not temper justice with mercy will appeal
in vain on that great day when God meets
out justice to us all"
He named his lecture THE Fiddle and
the Bow" he said, because that was the
musical instrument of the common country
people. His descriptions of the old coun-
| try school commencement day, where the
fiddle and the bow were in conspicuous
| evidence, of the quilting party, the coun-
try dance, and the negro and the 'possum
interspersed with anecdotes, were most
| laughable and entertaining. In his con-
| GLIDING remarks. Gov. Taylor spoke OF
sleeping in a South Georgia palace and lis
tening to the hum OF the South Georgia
mosquito, land this is the song he sang;
BUZZ, buzz, buzz around this bed,
Buzz, buzz, no hair upon this head.
Buzz, buzz, Wen paint old baldy red
And there'll be hot time in the old town
| tonight"