The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-05-22
WRITER. 'Mo1L1E DARLING"
Col. Will 8. Hays of Kentucky, its
Author, is Now Seventy-Four
Other Southern Songs.
st. Louis Republic.

ed forever. On January 10 he cele-
brated the 74th anniversary of his
birth.
There is in the entire southland,
perhaps, no better known man than
Col. Will S. Hays, the veteran editor
of the Louisville Courier-Journal, and
friend Of every man, woman and child
i'll the blue grass state.
From the pen of this gifted man
flowed such famous melodies Of the
oldcn time as "Moliie Darling"
s'Keep in dc Middle OBJ de Road"
"Shamus OBricn,' Evangelinc,'
"Old Fashioned Roses Are Sweet
est "Nora O'Neil,' "Little Old
Log Cabin in de Lanc,' "I'll Re-
member You, Love, in My Prayers,"
and multitude of others that are
still sung III every land where there's
a written language.
"Every one of my songs" said Col.
Hays, "means something. There was
a reason for its being written. Of
course, 'Mollie Darling had the
greatest vogue. There was time
when it was sung everywhere in
America, and have heard il in Eng
land. France. Germany, Italy and in
Spain.
"Thcre is very pretty little sto-
ry connected with the writing Of this
song, if you care to hear it. had
been writing songs years and once
year | took batch Of them to New
York to sell them to music dealer
The firm. | believe, has since moved
to st. Louis. At the time Of which
l speak | had ten songs, with the
words and music, and started up the
river on a steamboat, intending to go
as far as Pittsburg by water. But by
the time | reached Pittsburg / was
taken i'll Of pneumonia, and they car
ricI me ashore to the Monongaheia
house. There | was i'll, for several
weeks and was close to the shining
portals.
"My attcndanc was an Irish girl
named Mollic. She was bright,
sparkling, rosy-chcckcd creature, just
from the Emerald Isle, and she never
seemed to weary Of ministcring to my
wants. A Mailman Of the same floor
was an Irishman named Pat. tt was
not long until they learned that they
were sweet on each other.
"Onc evening. the doctor told me
if were real good the next morning
he would be willing for ne to leave
the bed and go down to dinner. | was
or and hear the splash OF the buckets
as they housrd into the water 1t
was dark. but the lights were not lit
and the door of my room was open.
Directly in front Of my door was Il
big, deep window, and in this Mollic
and Pat were sitting about rs close
as il was possible for them to get.
They thought me asleep, and I sup
pose | ought I" have been.
g heard Pat whisper, DO you love
me, Molic, darlng?' Mollic made
no reply and only ncstcd closer. Let
your answer be kiss whispered
Pat.
"Thcre was a slight scuffle in the
window and then they went away.
But all that night the words kept
running through my mind: 'Do You
love me, Mollc darling7 Let your an
swcr be kiss | was still weak and
nervous, as would have been expected
of any man who had been as sick as 1
was. Then I began to hum to the
very same tune that countless thous-
ands have since hummcd and sung it.
"In the morning Pat assisted me to
dress, and then Mollie came in to
tidy up the room bit. I sat down
at the washstand and scribbled off the
song in its entirety, music and all, as
I had composed it in bed. I said moth
ing to Pat and Mollie. They took me
down to breakfast and all the old riv-
or men and my other friends were
glad to see me. Then as we arose to
leave the table I asked them to step
into the parlor, and specially request
ed that Pat and Mollie, who had been
so good to me, go with us. I said
I longed to sing and play something
and 1 wanted them to hear it.
Everybody went along and I sat
at the piano and played and sang
'Mollie Darling 1t made hit with
the company and everybody crowded
= about to congratulate me. The last