The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-12
EuQns

melody, which they had never heard be-
fore.
"hnR BRIGHT SMILE HAUNTS ME
STILL"
This old song l found on page 90, fol-
lowing "Juanita" l suppose few people
sing 1t now. AS a poem 1t is not de-
serving of permanent life, being an out
law against scanning, confusing trochalc
and imbic feet at pleasure. 1t is valua-
Bile, however, a reminder of the old
days gone forever; days when everybody
sang it. Tt was once as popular as
Fairy Belle" Gentle Annie "Mollic
Darling:" none of which are sung now.
/ knew one who used to sing it, I
never met him until l had outgrown my
boyhood. At times his tones were thrill
ing. Some years after l had become &C
quainted with him, we accidentally met at
a railway junction In the state of Della
ware; and while awaiting a train he
sang for me. His very being was mu-
steal, and as he sang his body would
sway to and fro, as If moved by mys-
FERROUS gale OF melody. He would ex-
tend his arms and throw back his head
and act as If he were performing a part
on the stage But he was not acting. 1t
was himself, with the musical tide surg
ing through his soul. o what singer
he was | cannot recall an instance of
ever meeting him again.
The story Is short one. Tntemper-
arce in drink was his undoing. One ex-
pedient after another was employed to
break the chains that bound him, but
without avail. He could not reassert his
manhood among his old friends, and
therefore determined to take a sailing
ship for the West Indies. On the long
voyage his mind began to forsake him,
and 1t required an effort to induce him
to become interested in anything The
voice of the marvellous singer was al
ready still. When the ship arrived off
ST Thomas island my friend was miss
Ing. But in a little while the sharp
crack of a pistol told of lbs where
ahouts. His cabin was forced open, and
they found him on the floor, dying. and
by his own hand.
The particulars of his death came to
me in a curious way. was in another
state, far from my own home and far
Their from the late home of the suicide
driving over a country road in mid
summer. My horse being a slow trav-
eler, l was overtaken by a buggy con-
tanning a man and his wife. I had
never, to my knowledge, seen either OF
them before. AS purposed to travel at
my leisure, l turned around in my bug
gy and bid them drive on ahead of me.
They moved up alongside of my vehicle
and were disposed to engage in con-
49,
thought led to another, and for some
time we conversed, they sitting in their
buggy and me in mine. They lived In
another part of the state, and were vis-
itlng friends near where we stopped In
the road.
When they became acquainted with
my name the lady exclaimed:
Then you knew Mr. -
'Why, certainly I did," l replied.
Said she: II have heard him speak OF
you on the ship at sea-
l then learned that her husband had
been the captain of the ship on which
my poor, unfortunate friend had sailed
to the West Indies. and that the lady
had made the voyage at the same time.
They gave me the pathetic particulars
of the suicide She was about the nrst
to enter the cabin when the door was
forced, and on the floor. gasping, she
found the dying man. dined that day
with these two persons at the nome
of their friends in the neighborhood-
How strange II was that should learn
what did In this mannerl