The Cruel Hiss

The Cruel Hiss
1706

We left New York on Sunday morn,
Our hearts were light and free,
As we were about to take the road
With our new farce comedy
Of course, we all looked forward
For the night to open on
It came and proved a grand success
The town we took by storm
One night when we were all made up
Thore came a cablegram;
We saw at once it was addressed
To our comedian
When some one said by way of joke,
“What Jack, a tailor’s bi Jack bowed his head and slowly said,
While all around was still:

Chorus-
“Only a message from far o’er the sea
Only a line yet it’s sorrow to me,
For one whom I loved has now passed away;
The line reads, ‘Your mother, Jack, died here to- day

Of course we all felt sorry,
And we sympathized with Jack
In one more week our season closed
And he was going back
To see his dear old mother
He had left but when a boy
To comfort her declining days
And fill her heart with joy
But now he said, “She’s dead and gone” –
The blow most broke his heart:
He said, “I can’t go on tonight And do justice to my part
“If Jack, you’re ill I’ll take your part”-
Thus spoke his old friend Ned
Jack tried to smile, yet all the while
His thoughts were what he’d read:

Chorus
The play went on, yet Jack refused
His friend’s kindness, and said:
“No I’ll go on and do my best;
Thanks for your offer Ned
Though those in front saw quickly
That he wasn’t in his line
For when he should have caused a laugh
A groan they caught at times
In the last act we saw him start-
We all expected this-
The first time in his bright career
Jack ever got a hiss
With tearful eyes, “My friends,” he said,
As to the footlights came,
“I falled tonight to please you quite,
But this alone’s to blame:
Chorus