Show THE OLD SONGS it was a hotel parlor a brilliant pianist had just rendered one of magners wagners Wag 0 liers ners most difficult pieces and a of well bred applause followed then very softly and tenderly like a sweetly tremulous old voice reciting pathetic memories the ivory keys sent the plaintive melody of auld lang syne sync sighing through the room the idle chatter iatter cl ceased every mind was busy with bittersweet bitter sweet memories and the air was full of the scent of vanished clover the warm fra fragrance C orance of newly tossed hay the echo of babbling brooks the simple tune knocked at the door of ever every heart and the ghosts of dead days dai came trooping forth in answer A stout darne dame on the musicians left looked away through 0 the open window beyond the moon flooded hills hill and a sigh ted tile the jot jet upon her anaple bosom she nad nad gone bac back I 1 kc and on aiu 1 dimmer nimer eve years ago afro was dressed in a faded pink calien calico and flipping sunbonnet again iler her barn bare toes toes sank deep in the lie yellow dut 0 of tile country road as slie she drove tho the cows home banle through the lonely cool shadows john edward fr arf cl ackle le l faced acad aud and honest eyed came out nut of the woods and joined lie her and the cows were late that for what has young love to do with ime A dignified old gentleman pent leman beside her batt his hia nose nose and inci dently wiped his eyes lie ile was th thinking inkin of the morning when he went out to seek his hia fortune and turned under tho the windy orchard trees to wave a last farewell to a mother who stood in the door with her check apron to her eyes ile he had whistled whist lod auld kill ll 11 I 1 lan syne to keep keel back the rising sobs as he trudged upon liis his way not a v word ord was spoken when the last memory haunted note died away in silence but every one had bad the tribute of a tear tea to auld lang syne an almost forgotten poet rob robert ert hinckly messenger AlesS eDger quaintly wishes for old wood to burn old books to read and old friends to talk with will in an ideal old age and ho he might also have added old tunes to be played in the ion long twilights lits whilo while he dozed and dreamed in his easy chair it is a fact that none ok of the popular songs 0 of late years survive a mayfly existence they catch the ii lip p but do not hold the heart and are written to cater to the popular fancy unlike the old tunes which are birth marked with the joys and woes boes of the human race music liall hall melodies may come and go 00 and bo be for forgotten 0 otten but as long as a sprig of heather blossoms on scottish moors moor 0 Illand ma may will bring tears to scottish eyes and the cruelty of barbara alien ilen will go down through 0 all al the t he ages while abile lads go 9 0 courting and lasses J se aro are capricious every saor sailor leaves a black eyed susan in port behind bebi d him and there is a chord in every bosom set to the wanderers immortal cry home I 1 sweet home annie laurie will live as long as the english Engli sli language neither a handel nor a beethoven composed the mar seil laise yet it became the battle cry cry of a nation it is not to the music of the symphony y societies that the dying turn but to rock of A ages nes many of gilbert and sullivans catchy rn melodies elodies are borrowed from old ballads and they have even mother goose to thank for some of their success strauss may set the feet to dancing in wagner tickle the brain and and mozart please the ear but nothing can touch the heart like the old tunes philadelphia press |