Omaha daily bee., 1899-06-04
on Hearing a Boy soloLst Sing in Church.

on the program as ~accompanist.
on Hearing a Boy soloist Sing in Churc
We'll, we see, I'd sold my papers
Every bloomin' blessed one,
And was stroll!n' round the corner,
Just a Drospectln' for fun.
l was loafin' by the rail.n'
OF that church YOU see right there,
With its crosses and its towers,
Kind O. settin' off the square.
And | got a sort o. lonesome,
For the ~gang-they weren't around,
| When l heard n noise of music,
Seemed like comm from the ground.
1t was nothin' but some singin',
But it sounded mighty fine;
Course, amt no judge o them things
An it's no affair O. mine.
Then it seemed to kind o weaken
TIL the band struck up a-whoopin',
And l heard 1t all again.
Well, there seemed to be a show, there,
That l thought I'd like to see,
An there was so many goin',
| Jest says-"Ill bet it's free
So l looks around the corner
And makes a careful search
If they heard I'd been to church.
Well, there warn't a soul a-lookin'
SO l UP and walks right in,
An l sat down in "a corner
While they finished up their hymn.
We'll. sir, blow me, II l ever
Was so taken all aback,-
There was marching up the aisle a
Gang of kids, in white and back.
They were singin' just like angels,
And they looked 50 slick and nice
That l wondered where they got EN-;
Were they always kept on ice,
And they wore a long black cloak, sir,
Comm to their very feet,
And an overall of white stuff,
Just like what is in a sheet.
Then some men came up behind them
Singin loudly, as they came,
But, although the kids was weaker.
They all got there, just the same.
Then. behind the whole perCeSSiOn,
Came two men, most all in white,
And they wore some fancy bizness
An they looked just out o sight.
But they didn't do no sing!n'.
Jest KEEP still, and looked ahead,
An, SEE /, I'll bet they're runnin
All the show,-that's what | said.
Then they all got up in front there,
And the music sounded grand,
But, to save my neck, couldn't
Get a sight, sir. of the band.
! could hear 1t as distinctly,
So | guessed 1t must be near,
Blu | saw no men, nor nothin',
An l thought 1t very queer.
Well, a man was standin' near me
An l touched him with my hand,
Then he looked aroun' and saw me,
An, seq |, Say, where's the band?"
An he looked at me a~-grinnin',
Just as tho I'd made a joke
That ere look he gave me made me
Kind o. sorry that I'd spoke.
Then he says-"Why, that's the organ,
All those pipes you see up there.
One man plays it with his fingers.
Ana anOtner pumps the air
Here the music stopped so sudden
That / most forgot myself,
And | heard some man a-talkin'
From a book, laid on a shelf.
Then they all got up and read some,
First the man, and then the crowd,
After that they knelt down softly,
And / see their heads were bowed,
So l bows my head down too, sir,
And | listens every word;
But l didn't understand them
Every time they said, Good Lord"
Well, they kept that up some longer,
TIL a plate came down the aisle,
And some people dropped in money
An some others dropped a smile.
Il suppose they'd come on passes
For they We're allowed to stay.)
So l gave 'em my four pennies,
That was adj 1 had that day.
Then a. kid got up in front there
With a paper in his hand
AL the rest was sittin' quiet
And the man tuned up the band.
Then that kid began a-singin'
Till l thought my heart I'D break.
For my throat was full o. chokin',
And my hands began to shake.
Well, l never seen no angels
And their songs I've never heard,
But I'll bet that there's no angel
Beats that kid,--for he's a bird.
He was lookin' like a picture,
With his robes of white and black.
And | felt my tears a-corain',
For l couldn't keep EN- back.
And l wondered If he always
Was as good as he looked there,
Singin' all about the angels,
ANGELS ever bright and fair"
We'll, thinks !, | guess it's easy
To be good and sing SO sweet,
But you know, it's kind O. different
Sellin' papers, on the street.
When the kid got through his singin'
l got up and made a sneak,
And ! got outside the church there.
And l swear l couldn't speak.
Then | ran across the gang, sir,
They were hangin' round for me,
But ! somehow didn't want them,
And just why, | couldn't see.
So, l said, ! couldn't join 'em
Cos l had another date,
And l went on walkin' homeward,
Like a kid without a mate.
And | sneaked in just as quiet
And | Law down on my bed,
TIL / slept and got a-dreamin'
About angels overhead.
And they wore such shiny garments.
And they sang SO sweet and fine
And the one right in the middle
Was that singin' kid of mine.
Now, | kind o want to know, sir
$50 l m asking you, We see)-
If them kids can all be angels,
Is there any show for me?
Omaha. THOMAS j. KELLY.