The times., 1899-11-12


The "Posterland. of which GTsu Ma
DouOugh spoke, was as nauEht in compasi-
son.
II Is admitted that all Of the performers
heard here last week did the best they
could with limited material Eesslcr and
Csrrick really had crsditabie scenes and
new tunes. But the popular s0ng-the av-
eraEe popular song-is dreadful ami that
fact is not concealable by the most talent
ed people in the business.
When brilliant Max O'Reu said that few
nations have more poets than the United
States-none have worse ones" he tried TO
tone down the statement by adding that.
in his opinion. man who could write
verses that would be repeated by the mu-
lion must have some talent. In this hs
was correct up to the point at which his
collection embraced the popular song. The
popular song is a species OF lyric that
might be authOred By a headless wonder.
It's sponsor need have neither education
nor mind The stories used. FOR the main
part. are alike; the lines Invariably betray
absolute ignorance of such a thing as me-
ter; even the rhymes are the same Having
/ heard one Of the sort Co which alIusi0u has
/ been made an ordinary mortal might com
pose a hundred, each q that number dif-
fering from the rest as much as popular
songs ever differ from each other
Here is a typical sample.
Inside a frewuiug prison.
With hard Euards Tor "a bed.
4 little lad was confined
For stealing q Leaf % bread
He'd told the judge with Ti.yesuE bTezlh
And eyes 20 sweet and h.ue
That be had taken what he did
For his mother fond and true.
In jail hc then did learn
That she was a.Icst dead
He Crcpt up 20 the warden
And thus to him be sa.d
CHORUs.
please. SIR. Warden:
Please. sir let me 90.
Ny mother dear Is diving
In Eer home sire ard slow
She IS my very best friend. sir
And she needs me-tha'- know
50. dear, kind SIr. Warden
Please, cir, let me 90"
The wardeH's heart was melted
As II from fires above
He thought of his own mother
Whom ever he would love.
He let the boy pass through the door
And cut into the strife,
When cable car over him
And took away his life.
They brought the little body in
Alas. the boy dead
And now the warden cannot forget
The day when these words be said.
CHORUS
This is not a parody. Written in eight
minutes. and without a single erasure: il
| is an excellent copy OF the genuine artf-
I Gle. very slightly exaggerated And il con
tains all the simple essentials There IS
the maudlin sentiment. the gross imprOb-
ability. the usual Thyming. the wretched
metre, the straining for chorus after the
second stauza. the bad English. the moth
er and the death, without which no popu-
lar song is complete. Set TO music this
rubbish. which is read here and laughed
over. would pass with ufne-teuths OF
theatTegosrs as "a beautiful heart story
Ii is qf1ite the equal OF half the matter
warbled across the foouights
And yet Lew Hawkins was obliged TO
burlesque these popular songs in order 70
win a smile.
Take into consideration The fact that
Belle Archer's absolutely express.onless
voice probably was caused by the terrible
cold from which she suffered last week.
and there is absolutely no room for com
parizon between her and the originator Of
her part. Caroline Miskel HOyj. Miss
Archer. while hardly The most beautiful
woman on the American stage. really is a
very pretty girl. and her reading Of the
role in "A CCutentad Woman" was dis
rinctIy graceful. There seemed to be a
warmth and spou;sreity about her w0rE
which the late Mrz. Eoyt. for whom the
piece was written especially lacked wholly
One felt that there was some reason for
Benton Holmes desire that his wife should
-fgUratiysIy spGaki1g-stick 70 her own
arzside and leave the polls alone This
fact. and similar facts. showed a clear con
c5pt.on Of the character Of which none OF
It's earlier assumars have appeared 70 be
I possessed. Altogether. Miss ATcher's pres
I sntatiOn was cretitabIs. not only az pOpU-
/ lar prices, but az any rate the star might
/ have chosen TO demand With newer and
/ brighter vehicle. with a larger and more
/ capable cast. Miss Archer should manage 70
/ win some attention in the theatrical world