Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-23

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THE singing of ballads a popular
diversion in our country while from time
i1nnemorial the ballad has been popular in
all parts of England. Many of the ballads sung
by American firesides were of English origin; but
there were poets in own country who tuned their
harps and brought forth some remarkable m
positions of this kind Many of these ballads were
founded on some tragic event in the community,
and were therefore of the most doefu1 character and
they were sung to dismal and dolefu tunes Some
of them were so long that it required the greater
part of an evening to sing three or four of them,
particularly as each stanza had "Ri-tick-a-tick'
or "Ri-too-loo-loo-1a-loo' refrain that
through several lines
The writer remembers that in his boyhood
some of these old ballads were eXtant, and they
were sung with what our own dear old Mother
Darlington would have called great venom" by
country fresides long winter evenings One
that is recalled devoted to unfortunate
person who had fits and the incidents and actions
resulting from this affection set forth in some
thing like twenty stanzas of eight lines each with
Sing -ri-tu-day, day-d-du" refrain. Another Of
them calculated to set forth the dangers
of becoming salivated by the too frequent of
the calomel prescribed in huge doses by many
of the physicians of other days. | remember that
the unfailing presence of calo1ne in the doctors
medicine bag set forth in this verse:
Oh Hiram Sands is very sick
Ride for the doctor ride-be quick!
The doctor comes with a right goodwill,
But ne'er forgets his calomil
Having been given too frequent and too large
doses of the deadly 'calornil poor Hiram becomes
fatally savated, and we are told in narrowing
detail of his suferings, couplet giving us the
information that
In ago-nee he oft did yell,
And all because of the caomel
The singers of these ancient and morbid rimes
We're often old people with shrill and penetrating
voices Singers and listeners sometimes would be-
come fearful over the most narrowing parts of the
tragical musical rectals, and one who did not be-
come 1achrynose over them supposed to be
quite void of ''feelin'"
Love and romance as we'll as tragedy entered
into some of the curious musical compositions. |
recall one of many stanzas sung by old woman
who sometimes visited my fathers house when |
was a boy. She was a poor, homeless wayfarer,
a sort of leaf driven before the wind" with
permanent abiding place, and the kindly disposed
people of the community gave the peripatetc Old
Nancy she called, food and shelter for
long as she chose to stay at their homes, which
not many days, for she seemed to have rest
less spirit that kept her forever 'movin on" Old
Nancy flattered herself that the ballads she sang
by the dim freight on long winter evenings
the porch in the summer twilight ample
pensatiOn for her entertainment
One of Old Nancys ballads told the tale of
lover returning from long sea voyage to find his
sweetheart married to house carpenter or 'kyar-
penter,' Nancy pronounced it. Meeting his
sweetheart his return, and ignorant of her
rage, the story runs:
well met, well met, well met cried he.
Il have Just returned from the deep blue ca
And it all for the love of thee.
q could have married a kings daughter dear
For I'm she'd have married me;
But forsook her of gold
And it was all for the love of thee