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Show 80NGS OF A GENERATION AGO. In the Majority of Them the Heroines Hero-ines Always Passed Away, It may not bo generally known that Fanny Crosby, now spoken of only as a hymn writer, used to drop Into weekday week-day verso, supplying words for songs moro popular In their day than are any of tho now things heard by muslo lovers of these later tlmci, sayc tho New York Post. Tho matron who Is now being "courted again In her girls" will, If oho has a good memory, recall a doleful song that her Charlie 'and his rivals used to ask for when sho woro ringlets ring-lets and broad-brimmed gypsy hnts: "In tho Hazel Dell My Nellie's Sleeping," Sleep-ing," the words of which were written by Fannie Crosby, under a pcnx name. This samo matron had not been married mar-ried long enough to glvo up her music when "Rosalie, tho Pralrlo Flower" (words by tho samo author) had. all sentimental young pcoplo weeping Jjo-cause Jjo-cause "sho" was "gone." It was tho fashion In thoao days for song heroines to die young, and Miss Crosby wasn't any moro murderously Inclined than other song writers. At that tlmo "Sweet Alice," under her slab of granlto so gray, was still popular, popu-lar, and listeners were Informed that "Gentlo Annlo" wouldn't como nny moro' because. , sho was "gono too," though "Fair Eulallo" appeared some-tlmosas some-tlmosas a spirit robed In whlto. Wo had not long given up weeping at "Little niossom's" tomb when "Sweet Hello Mahono" wont to wait for her lover (captious crltlca had it that she waited In aln) at heaven's gate. While "Katlo Darling" was still being mourned for tho angels bnan to clear tho wny for "Nellie Cray's" faithful nfllanced to Join her up above. "Kato Darling" had probably n longer season of belleshlp than tiny other dead girl, but Ehe vn3 closely followed by Miss Crosby's "Uosallo." Tho little beauty, "Hollo Brandon," wns nnothor young person of tho "Pralrlo Flower" gonus. but in splto of her early gravd sho was nover so popular as woro some of her rivals. To bo sure, the old hongs were somewhat some-what niminy-piminy and they were doleful to a degree, hut, nevertheless, they woro what tho young people cried for in those days and they were doubtless doubt-less unobjectionable. Tho words woro all more or les3 of tho "Mary la Heaven" order of erse, and surely-Hums surely-Hums was at his bo3t when ho laj-on the grass, watching "yon llngeiing star" and dreaming of one without tho memory of whom ho had, peibaps, nover been a true poet. |