The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-08-11
BY CHARLES l.. SHIPLEY.

family, especially those enjoying
the blessing Of God given civil
cation and christianity and their
attendant refinement, who has
not at some time in their life have
had their very soul stirred within
the confines of its human cell by
hearing the notes of some familiar
song or hymn of their childhood
sang OF played in their presence!
If such there live who have not,
90 mark him or her-no matter
what their position, "descent of
blood" or power of wealth, as a
base born churl, unfit for the as
ISOLATION of the refined and sen.
Sible portion of the human family.
Many of these songs have coma
down to us of the present genera
tion loaded with the dust ofyears,
but when this dust is brushed
aside and they bring in review
before our vision, many reminis
cenceS of "scenes gone by" they
stand forth in glittering colors
and are dearer than ever on &C
count of their age and the pleas
ant memories they revive and we
can truthfully say that though
such song was erased forever
from our sight, the remembrance
of it would still remain among us.
"Long, long he my heart with such
memories filed,
Like the vase in which roses have once
been distilled;
You may break, you may shatter the
vase if you will,
But the scent Of the roses will cling t.
it still"
In compiling list of these
songs, which we have termed
Heart Chords of Memory"-and
the title is an appropriate one,
as they have moved to emotion
the hearts of millions-we cannot
chose more appropriate one to
head the collection than the one
that has moved hundreds of thOuS-
ands Of people to honest tears 10y
its sweet and subtle influence OF
pathos and sentiment and whose
composer passed his declining
years in want and distress, while
others have been enjoying the
money reaped in harvest from its
sales.
This song is "Kathleen Ma
vourneen," and it will remain an
ever living power in the REALM 81
human sentiment rs long as the
memory of man cheriSheS and
transmits from generation to gen
Grafton the sentiments of the uni
VeaSal human heart. The poem
itself of the world famed "Kath
leen MavOurneen," was not writ
ten by Frederick Nicholas Crouch,
the composer of its melody. II
was first published in an English
magazine. A dreamer by nature
and possessed of the natural
Celtic ear for music and the Celt' S
prOverbial appreciation of 70
nance and sentiment, the words
appealed to his heart. He read
them over and over and each time
he read them the more they fasci.
mated him.
At once came the melody like a
burst of inspiration. The song
was born. Crouch wrote out the
music and took it to firm OF
music dealers who saw in it at a
glance the peculiar charm of the
song that would easily win them
fortune. Their secret estimate
of the piece they carefully kept
to themselves, however, and
offered Crouch just Go, or S25 fol-
it. He accepted it without the
least realization that he was turn.
ing over to them a handsome for
tune. 1t was the same old story
of genius. They took the song,
published it, and grew rich; he
with mind and body shattered,
neglected and almost helpless.
died in poverty in one of the back
streets of Baltimore City.
The following are the lines
familiar to almost the entire civil
lied world:
KATHLEEN MAVOURNEEN.
"Kathleen Mavourneen. The gra,
dawn is breaking,
The horn of the hunter Is heard OF
the hill;
The laik from her light wing the brgh
dew is shaking
Kathleen MaVournsen! What
Slumbering sill?
Oh, hast thou forgotten this day W,
must part?
1t may be for years and it may b,
forever
Oh, why art thou silent, then, voice o
Of my heart?
Kathleen Mavourneen! Awake from
thy slumbers!
II blue mountains glow in the sun
golden light;
All! Where is the spell that once hun,
on my numbers?
Arise in thy beauty, thou star of my
night!
MaNourneen, Mavourneen, my sal
tears are falling
To think that from Erin and thee
must part;
1t may be for years and it may be for