How Popular Songs Are Written

Dexter Smith had written a number of clever verses which he carried to his publislier. That gentleman, after glancing them over, handed them back, witli tiie following doubtful oriticism : " These are very good, Mr. Smith- too good, in fact. Yes, they are too good for me. Use them in the Atlantic, or some suoh place. What I want just now is something after this pattern," and he read to the astonished "writer some selections from severa! of the popular bailada. 3mith was disgusted. ' ' It surely can't be possible," said he, " that the public wants such miserable stuff as this." " It is not only possible, but true." " Then I don't wonder that mine is too good for your use. Good-day 1" And the young composer half angrily strode out of the office, reflecting upon the degeneracy of the public mind. He was going aloag one of the narrow Boston streets, absorbed in his thoughts, when he heard a dirty little urchin yell to his mother, " Sa-ay, mam ! put me in my little bed I" There was his subject 1 And, going home, fllled with a detormination to write the most unutterable mess of dreariness he could think of, he composed the song wliich has since made him famous. His little joke was well received, and its reputation spread until the sales reached an enormous figure. In this connection let me give you the number of copies sold I of a few of the best-known publications of this kind: "Pat Me in My Little Bed," by Dexter Smith, 250,000; "Moi lie Darling," by Will S. Hays, 40,000; " Silver ïhreads Among the Gold," by Danks (who is very popular), 75,000; " Come Home, Father," 50,000; " Evangeline," 25,000; " Tramp, Tramp," 100,000; "Norah U'Neill," 100,000; "Sweet Genevieve," 20,000. Many of these still sell steadily, and wili doubtless continue to do so for a number cf years. Songs written to suit the times frequently reach immense sales, and, as in book publications, those which appear the weakest are not infrequently the most successfnl.