Chapter XXXII: Appendix: To Sitting of 21 December 1915

(WRITTEN 3½ MONTHS LATER)

(Dictated by O. J. L., 12 April 1916.)

Last night the family were singing over some songs, and came across one which is obviously the one referred to in the above sitting of A. M. L. with Mrs. Leonard, held nearly four months ago, of which a portion ran thus (just before the reference to Orange Girl):--

"A. M. L.--What used he to sing?

Hello--Hullalo--sounds like Hullulu,--Hullulo. Something about 'Hottentot'; but he is going back a long way, he thinks."

References to other songs known to the family followed, but this reference to an unknown song was vaguely remembered by the family as a puzzle; and it existed in A. M. L.'s mind as "a song about 'Honolulu,'"--this being apparently the residual impression produced by the 'Hullulu' in combination with 'Hottentot'; but no Honolulu song was known.

A forgotten and overlooked song has now (11 April 1916) turned up, which is marked in pencil "R. L. 3.3.4.," _i.e._ 3 March 1904, which corresponds to his "going back a long way"--to a time, in fact, when he was only fifteen. It is called, "My Southern Maid"; and although no word about 'Honolulu' occurs in the printed version, one of the verses has been altered in Raymond's writing in pencil; and that alteration is the following absurd introduction to a noisy chorus:--

"Any little flower from a tulip to a rose,
If you'll be Mrs. John James Brown
Of Hon-o-lu-la-lu-la town."

Until these words were sung last night, nobody seems to have remembered the song "My Southern Maid," and there appears to be no reason for associating it with the word 'Honolulu' or any similar sound, so far as public knowledge was concerned, or apart from Raymond's alterations.

Alec calls attention to the fact that, in answer to his question about songs, no songs were mentioned which were not actually Raymond's songs; and that those which were mentioned were not those he was expecting. Furthermore, that if he had thought of these songs he would have thought of them by their ordinary titles, such as "My Orange Girl" and "My Southern Maid"; though the latter he had forgotten altogether.

(A sort of disconnected sequel to this song episode occurred some months later, as reported in Chapter XXIII.)