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Newspaper Page Text
"Let's play ring," cried a frolicking maid. Within :i minute every child with in the sound of her voice rushes toward her and the game is soon under way. All join hands and the leader- starts the fun by choosing Kitty Casey to stand in the center of the ring, while her companions revolve round her and sing. Strange as it may secern the children have imbibed enough knowledge about "love" from their elders that each not only has a beau but has thoughts of being united to the lad of their choice when they have reach ed womanhood. Each child also knows in whose keeping her companion's little heart is and in their games the fortunate youth's name is heard wilh frequency. does not prevent their gefting as much enjoyment out of the games as the initi ated. As will be observed In the foregoing lines, the unknown author of them, while not a -poet of high order, knew how to please the cliildren, because he ends the 1 verse with promises of future happiness. The song being concluded, Kitty Casey jrins hands and Mayzie Jackson takes her station in the ring. It does not mat ter whether Mayzie' s hands and face are daubed with smirches of mud, because her companions well know she has attended a cooking school in a back lot and has learned the receipe for making mud pies. Mayxle has a "fellow" and Is as proud as any little lady in the land. When his name is heralded, Miss Jackson's blushes can be discerned through the dirt which begrimes her face, but this Is lost on her companions, who are busily engaged in singing the following verse: Rain, rain high and the winds blow cold And the storm is gathering to and fro. And Mayzie Jackson says she'll die, Die for a fellow with a roeuish eye. She is handsome, 6he is pretty; She is the belle of San Francisco city. She has a loved one, one, two, three; Please do tell me who he'll be. Freddie Cohen says he'll have her; All the boys are fighting for her. - Let them all say what they will, Freddie Cohen will have her still. Mayzie's love story having been told to her satisfaction, sbe returns to her old place in the revolving circle and Sadla Watson is chosen to the place of honor. "Without delay Sadie hears the following news: All the boys in our town lead a happy life. Excepting Frankie Walker, and he want* a wife. A wife he shall have, a-courting he shall go. Whence these songs originated is lost in dim obscurity. Suffice it to say they have been handed down through suc ceeding generations and will never die out. They are the rightful property of the children and nothing can dispossess them of ownership. Half of them do not know the meaning of the verses, but. this Rain, vain high and the wlnds'blow cold , And the storm is trathering to and fro; And Muyzie Jackson sajs she'll die. Die for a fellow with a roguish eye. The strains of this childish song filled the air. It could be heard above the din of clanging street car bells and passing trucks. A half dozen "tykes" just out of school were engaged in play and they looked as contented as hou?=e cats. They were re volving round a little girl, whose large black eyes sparkled with pride \ at the homage accorded her. The street wad crowded with pedestrians and many of them paused in their hurry and scurry to the marts of trade to listen to the sweet voices raised In joyous song. A feeling of sympathy was depicted on the faces of many of the auditors. Fond recollections of their own childhood returned to them. Like a panorama the early years of their own life passed before their eyes. If you have never had the infinite pleasure of listening to these rhymes, you have miss ed an experience which is as delightful as any one could desire. The songs are peculiarly the property of tho children of the poorer classes. To hear them proper ly sung, one needs only to pass through any of the small streets of an afternoon and their ears will drink in the tuneful songs. All the Rirls having been the center of attraction durins: the rendition of the foregoing sonps. th.y play "ring around tho rosy." which calls forth more action. To the following lines they revolve and at the proper moment halt and squat down before the one imu.'e the circle can tag them: Ring around the r',sr. to jruess the Identity of the happy indi vidual. It is one of th^ prettiest composi tions in the eolteetron of children songs and runs Ilka this-: Water, water tho wife] Bow«T* Orc.vir™ i:;> -vi hi^h. V.'e arr all younj; ladle*, excepting Anr.ie Rooney. She' 1 ' th»- yooni:e»| B<?KtT r\c for. fie U,? shatr.p. Turn your bark snd :¦¦!! hi? name. K. II. is a r.Ico young rr.nn, Hn romp, to thp doer with his hat fn hi* han<l. Eta Uka if Mis, ,\nni • is in. . - N"o. she's neither !n not v!e'» neither out. Hut she's up in th» paribp walking abjut. IV.wn she eome* ;ii; .:r»sM-JL In *¦!!)!. A rtw on h»r besom U white ;*.-» milk. She pulls err bet tfort an i show? hin her rinc. To-morrow, to-mcrr. ¦.. t&e wedding will besin. Music Arranged by W.llicm The following song is rendered with ges ticulations. Out of consideration for. the feelings of the young iady in the center of the ring the name of her lover is not revealed. His initial are, however, and the bystanders are of. necessity compelled When the boy has chost-n his inamorita and imprinted a caress on her willing lips both stand with hand.-* clasped and the song continues: Now you're married and inuft obey, Tou must be true to al! you say, Fo if tocfther all your lire We r ronounce . pronounce you man and wife. At times some of the boys whose names arc repeated by the weaker sex are in veigled into the game. They have a re luctance rfo join the gfrfa for toor their companions will dub them "sis.^uV but if they can enter the pastime with pro priety they do so and are rewarded with kisses. The following lines are generally repeated: Oats nnJ beans and barley grows 'Tis you nor I an<l Bobod? knows. So open the rir.s and ebooea her In And kiss her, when you get her in. Atonic -with J?a . ! "Wi.tso.i- rtown m Mexico. First comes a kiss, second comes a cat. Third corned Frank with ft white straw hat. He takes her on his knee, he says. "Do you love me?" *Oh. yes; I rove you~- There's nothing in this world To rart our love in two." fhe suxdav call. Kitty Casey having been selected to grace _the center of the ring, the leader starts~an appropriate song and all quickly join in.. * Down in the meadow where the green gnus grows There stands Kitty Casey as sweet as a rose. She sings— she sings, she sings so sweet; Go out, Nat Wilson, and kiss her sweet. He kisses her, he loves her, he buys her a ring: '. A wedding In the church and a gay gold rinsr. Oh, Kitty, oh,. Kitty, you ought to be ashamed To many a boy who will soon be a man; But he works for his Kitty as hard as he can. Oh, doctor, oh, doctor, can you tell What will make roor Kitty well? i She is sick and ready to die, And that would make poor Nattle cry; But Nattie, Nattle, don't you cry, For you'll be married on the Fourth of July. 4 Children's Songs and Games