Show CRADLE SONGS ARE ANCIENT I Words Often Seem Meaningless Jumble Jumble Jum Jum- ble Melody Always Within Compass Compass Compass Compass' Com Com- pass pass pass' of Home Voices Almost all popular cradle cradIc songs are very old some pf them so old that were they not familiar they might be considered the curiosities ot of literature Through all the changes of language the they have held their own upon the lips and in the hearts of the people From mouth they have come down through the years ears with an on Irresistible swing of rhythm and patter and jingle of words till Ull they seem to have been rather a natural natural nat nat- ural growth than a human Invention In all ali the melodies observes a n writer writer writer ter there is a a certain likeness of rhythm with a national I might say a 31 I difference of or movement and a meter from the tte slow assured major mojor of the German to t the e wild plaintive plaintive plaintive plain plain- tive minor of the Scotch characterized by the short accented notes or the weirdness s of the Hungarian with its sudden Budden changes That these old songs should have embodied and retained the characterIstIcs characteristics characteristics character character- of the people among whom they originated gives them an nn Importance which their crude words and the elementary elementary ele ela- ele- ele mentory character of their melodies scarcely seem to warrant The words often seem a me mere e meaningless jumble jumble jumble jum jum- ble the melody Is always s 's within the easy compass of home voices No doubt both express In some wise way the one unalterable sentiment sentiment senti senU- ment of maternal love |