END OF A LOVE STORY

Evening Star, Issue 20981, 21 December 1931, Page 12

END OF A LOVE STORY

"MY OLD DUTCH" DIES ROMANCE OF MUSIC HALL SONG A beautiful love story came to an end recently with the death, at her home in Sussex, England, of Mrs Albert Chevalier, widow of the famous musichall artist, who was popular in Australia (says the ‘ Daily Mail ’). Chevalier’s sketches of Cockney characters and the songs with which ho accompanied them, stirred to mingled tears and laughter multitudes of people in Britain and elsewhere. ‘ Knocked ’em in the Old Kent Road ’ was sung on New York’s Broadway as lustily as in Piccadilly or Poplar, and all the world knew abqut ‘ Mrs ’Enery ’Awkins.’ But never did a music-hall song set the hearts of old and young so warmly beating as ‘ My Old Dutch.’ The secret of its universal appeal was in the source of its inspiration—Chevalier’s great love for his wife. Romance was in the very writing of the song. While Chevalier was on his way home one night ho became lost in a thick fog in the West End of London, and took refuge on a street island. He thought of his wife waiting for 'him at home, and began to scribble on an envelope the song which millions soon were singing:— I’ve got a pal, a reg’lar out-an’-outer, She’s a dear old pal. I’ll tell yor all about ’er! It’s many years since fust we' met, ’Er ’air was then as black as jet; It’s whiter now, but she don’t fret— Not my old gal! And then that chorus which brought the “ house ” down every time Chevalier sang it:— We’ve been together now for forty years, An’ it don’t seem a day too much; There ain’t a lady livin’ in the land As I’d swop for my dear old Dutch! There was a prayer in the last verse which was ansAvered: —* I ain’t a coward, still I trust When we’ve to part, as part wo must, That death may come and take mo fust, To wait—ray pal! Mr Chevalier died eight years ago, at the age of 63. Mrs Chevalier, too, was 63.