The Washington times., 1906-06-20
TENDER ROMANCE
BEHIND HIS SONGS
Author of "MOllie Darling"
Tells of Its Inception.
OVERHEARD THE C0URTSHIP
Money Will S. Hays Got for 1t He
Gave to Poor Irish
Woman.
OVERHEARD THE COURTSHIP

ST. LOUIS, June 20.-The voice OF
VIII S. Hays, the sweet singer OF
Southern songs. is nearing the time |
when it will be hUshed forever. In jan |
uary he celebrated the seventy-fourth |
anniversary of his birth.
There Is in the entire Southland, per-
haps, no better known man than Col
VIII S. Hays. the veteran river editor
Of the Louisville Courier-JOurnal and
friend of every man, woman, and child
IN the Blue Grass State.
From the pen OF this gifted man
flowed such famous melodies of the
olden time as "Mollie Darling" Keep
10 de Middle OBJ de Road" 'Shamus
.O'Brien.' "Evangeline," "Old Fash
iOned Roses Are Sweetest" Nora
O'Neil." Little Old Log Cabin in de
Lane" I'm Remember You. Love. in
My Prayers and a multitude of others
that are still sung In every land where
there is written language.
Romance With Every Song.
Every one of my songs, said Colonel
Hays, means something. There was
reason for its being written. OF course,
'MoIlie Darling had the greatest vogue.
There was a time when II was sung
y
heard it sung in England, France, Ger
many, Italy, and Spain.
There is a very pretty story connect
ed with the writing of this song, If you
care to hear it. ! had been writing
songs for some years. and once a year
took a batch of them to New York to
sell them TO a music dealer. The firm,
l believe, has since moved to St. Louis
At the time of which 1 speak l had ten
songs. with the words and music, and
started up the river on a steamboat in
tending to go as far as Pittsburg by
water. But by the time I reached Pitts
burg I was taken i'll Of pneumonia, and
they carried me ashore to the Monon-
gahela House. There 1 was i'll for sew
eral weeks and was close to the shining
portals.
My attendant was an Irish girl named
MOllie. She was a bright. sparkling. rosy
checked creature, just from the Emerald
Isle, and she never seemed weary Of
the same floor was an Irishman named
Pat. Il was not long. until 1 learned
they were sweet on each other.
''One evening the doctor told me if
was real good the next morning he would
be willing for me TO leave my bed and
go down TO dinner. / was delighted. for
1 longed to see the river and hear the
splash OF the buckets as they dOused
into the waters. 1t was dark, but the
lights were not lit and the door of my
room was open. Directly In front Of my
this MOllie and Pat were sitting about
as close as II was possible for them 70
get They thought me asleep, and I
suppose l ought TO have been.
The Answer Was a Kiss.
Il heard Pat whisper. DO you love
me. Mollie darlin'g MoIlie made no
reply and only nestled closer. Let your
answer be a kiss, whispered Pat
There was slight scuffie in the win
dow and then they went away. But all
through that night the words kept run
ming through my mind: DO you love ne.
Mollie darling? Let your answer be
kiss ! was still weak and nervous. as
would have been expected of a man who
had been sick as long as was. Then
began TO hum the very same tune that
countless thousands have since hummed
and sung.
In the morning Pat assisted me TO
dress, and then MoIIie came In to tidy up
the room a bit. I sat down at the wash
stand and scribbled of the song in its
entirety, music and all, as 1 had com
posed II in bed. 1 said nothing to Pat
and Mollie. They took me down TO
breakfast, and all the old river men and
my other friends weer glad 20 see me.
Then as we arose TO leave the table
specially requested that Pat and So'lie.
who had been so good TO me, g. wrh
us. / said ! longed to sing am ay
something and l wanted them TO he l.
Everybody went along and 1 sat at
the piano and played and sang 'MoDie
Darling. 1t made hit with the COM
pany and everybody crowded about TO
congratulate me. The last was Mollie
she leaned over my shoulder. her face
as red as the rose. and whispered. An
did yez hear tn answer gev him?'
Gave Proceeds to Poor Woman.
We'll. 1 did not put that song with
nv others. because Il was not I'm shane
as the rest Instead. 1 placed ii in my
pocket. At New York I had no trou,,Is
in disposing Of the others 1 had written
and was standing talking to the nro-
prietor about the batch 1 Thought 7
would be able to grind out for the next
season. A poor old Irish woman en-
tered. begging money with which 70
bury her dead child. 1t was a pitifuI
story and l turned to the proprietor and
suggested that he give me SIS for 'Moilie
Darling 1 played IL over for him and
he agreed. / passed the money over to
the old woman and she showered bless
ings upon me. and said she hoped the
song would be under the special patrons
age of all the saints