The Republican journal., 1912-11-14

War songs had place in the canto:
"My young life heard the note of war
That echoed from the hills afar;
When might and hate and fury blent,
And shook the very armament.
Columbia trembled at her fate,
Four weary years in doubt to wait.
The turning of the crimson tide
With peace and victory on her side.
And as those years moved slow along,
Ger hills and dales was heard the song
Of patriotic youths aglow,
Pondering their country's veal and woe.
At summer noon, in winter night,
On rolling hills, in fair moonlight
They sang, 1.-THE Union forever, hurrah
boys, hurrah,
Down with the traitor, and up with the STAR
And kindred songs. Then Sunday
school songs:
Fair troopers from horizon gold,
AS when Elisha's vision rolled
Der Dorthan's top, and spake her cheer
To the young man quaking with fear,
Then led the Syrian to his fate
Within old Shechem's iron gate.
"Call the children early, mother,
There's light in the window for thee,
brother,
And all the rest in the Golden Chain,'
Young voices dinned, like summer rain.
One old fellow in the social meetings
is recalled thus:
When prayers with fervor higher ran,
His goggled eyes would eager scan
The pages of the hymn book through;
Then as an earthquake shakes anew
The ground it's traversed much before,
He'd break forth in terrific roar,
Hear the Christian pilgrim sing"
And all the house would soon take wing
AS in the Pentecostal way,
Second to naught but judgment day.
Then the poet made final appeal, thus:
Now heaven give me zest to tell
In fitting strain the magic spell
That came by note and measured rule
In Abden's winter singing school,
For if that task be fully done,
The laurel for my brow is won.
When weekly singing night came round,
Each member in his place was found,
Some well matured, some young and gay,
Filled the red schoolhouse an, array
AS promising as eer was known,
Proud as king upon throne.
Each desk pair with light and book,
Its compliment becoming took,
While Master Alden at the desk
The pointer welded at the risk
Of punching out mis- own bright eyes,
He welded it with such surprise
And startled movement so alert,
None dared to whisper. none to f1irt.
Now flew he to the board and wrote
With chalk the proper chord and note,
Now whirled and briskly tapped the seat,
And made US sing the tune complete.
Full many maiden sang the air,
Equally many others fair
Sang out the alto sweet and low,
And one lad sang the alto too,
Because his voice not then could grace
The deep, full tone at singing bass.
That was the part of ful-grown men:
They sang it well enough and then
Some sang the tenor loud and clear:
1t rings out yet in memory's ear;
Proudest of all, one gallant earl
Sang it with grace and with swirl
And eddy of the slurring note:
At times his voice leaped from his throat,
And bounded out in open air
Like tiger bounding from his lair.
Endwise stood out his waving locks:
licked Abden's stick liketicking clocks,
AS cried he, ''swell, swell that is good"
Well, wasn't it a singing brood?
But one lone bird, night hawk, no owl,
Perched in the corner with a scowl,
Voiced not note unto the tune,
Indeed, how could he grant the boon
OF his proud tongue unto the song.
Trained to the note of war so long?
His sword in scabbard at his side,
His steed hitched to post outside.
His military cloak sloped down
From neck of tan and locks of brown,
Pointed mustache and goatee too,
Pointed his nose meath eyes Of blue,
He sat and pointed with stare
Where the Earl's voice had split the air.
The song-tde usually set in
With cadence low and accent thin,
Father, whateer of earthly bliss"
None could its flowing rhythm miss.
Then came, "Our Heavenly Father, hear
The prayer we offer now,
Thy name be hallowed far and near,
To Thee all nations bow"
Then sprghtlier tunes were eager sought,
And last, never to be forgot,
Came Village Bells" whose jinglng chime
Broke through the Dale in peals sublime.
"Ring on, ye bells. with joyful tale
Far over lake and lea,
Make glad my lovely, native vale,
As it was wont to be.
Ring out your gladstone earnest chime,
And bid the gathering throng
Within these walls keep holy time
With heartfelt praise and song"
That in all of the parts sung through,
They broke and parted clean in two.
Three parts sang jingle with might,
Thus:
"Rlng merry, merry bell,
Ring, merry, merry bells,
Ring, merry, merry bells,
Ring, merry, merry bells,
Ring, We joyful bells"
While the Earls tenor took to flight,
And frenzy seized upon his brain.
He shook like leaf in pelting rain
The fire flashed out of his blue eye,
Outshining stars in winter sky.
Erect his frame, high tossed his head
His peals Of song nigh woke the dead.
And on that purpose seemed he bent
Such zest into his part he lent,
AS, mid the three part gingle, he
Hurled out and over lake and lea
His clarion tones,
"Ring on, Ring on, Ring on, bells,
Ring on, Ring on, Ring, ye joyful bells. f"
Then the male quartette, Sir John
Sukeforth, with his inimitable voice of
sweetness, Marquis B. P. Knowles and
Duke Edmund Adams, with their round,
deep and clear bass, and Sir Charles
T. Al. IL. Il