History Repeats

I am going to assume that lyrics written in 1864 are public domain and I can post them here. Is that correct? If not, will you tell me so I can remove them and be law abiding? Thank you. With that Introduction, here are the lyrics I am referring to:

Tis The

Song of little Mary

Standing at the bar-room door

While the shameful midnight revel

Rages wildly as before.

Father, dear father, come home with me now!

The clock in the steeple strikes one;

You said you were coming right home from the shop,

As soon as your day's work was done.

Our fire has gone out our house is all dark

And mother's been watching since tea, --

With poor brother Benny so sick in her arms,

And no one to help her but me. --

Come home! come home! come home! --

Please, father, dear father, come home. --

Chorus

Hear the sweet voice of the child

Which the night winds repeat as they roam!

Oh who could resist this most plaintive of prayers?

"Please, father, dear father, come home."

Father, dear father, come home with me now!

The clock in the steeple strikes two;

The night has grown colder, and Benny is worse

But he has been calling for you.

Indeed he is worse Ma says he will die,

Perhaps before morning shall dawn; --

And this is the message she sent me to bring

"Come quickly, or he will be gone." --

Come home! come home! come home! --

Please, father, dear father, come home. --

Chorus

Hear the sweet voice of the child

Which the night winds repeat as they roam!

Oh who could resist this most plaintive of prayers?

"Please, father, dear father, come home."

Father, dear father, come home with me now!

The clock in the steeple strikes three;

The house is so lonely the hours are so long

For poor weeping mother and me.

Yes, we are alone poor Benny is dead,

And gone with the angels of light; --

And these were the very last words that he said

"I want to kiss Papa good night." --

Come home! come home! come home! --

Please, father, dear father, come home. --

Chorus

Hear the sweet voice of the child

Which the night winds repeat as they roam!

Oh who could resist this most plaintive of prayers?

"Please, father, dear father, come home."

By Henry Clay Work, 1864
-end

I read this for a history class assignment. We have a website through which we access original source material from the "old days." The class is U.S. history up until 1877. Some of the documents to read are personal letters, others are political documents. I have been impressed with several of the documents by how much things have not changed in the last 150 or so years. Such as with this bit of lyrics. Apparently in 1864 there was as much of a problem with fathers ditching their families for booze as there is now. It is really sad. My dad never drank and never sold me out for anything as selfish as that. I am grateful for that. I think because I have a great father, I can relate to the feeling of the child in this song to have his father come home. I think as much as any other problem we are seeing in this world, the problem of negligent fathers is right up there at the top, and I'll suggest it is the cause of many of the other problems, or at least highly correlated with them. If I had to boil down what I've learned from my parents, to one attribute each, I think I'd say Mom taught me love and Dad taught me responsibility. In reality they worked together to teach me all things, but if I had to I'd assign these traits to each as the primary instructor. Responsibility is the root issue I have with people that frustrate me by their behavior. Responsibility is what makes life tough. We are responsible for people or situations and that brings consequences, some good, some bad. Either way, responsibility holds us accountable for what we choose to do. I think it is the fear or distaste for this accountability that leads to situations like we see in out-of-control governments. People like me who see other people making irresponsible decisions get frustrated and decide to do something about it. They think, 'if only I could make them see it my way, they wouldn't be so miserable.' But that is where I differ with those people like me. I get frustrated with irresponsible behavior, but I don't think it is my place to control people into being responsible. I don't know if you can be responsible if you are forced into it. It has to be demonstrated and then adopted by the individual. This must be why writers do outlines, so they know what they are going to say and how to say it before they start saying it. This must be why I'm not a Writer, with a capitol W, or is it capital? because I don't plan, I just start saying. I think it makes sense, but sometimes I just run out of things to say. Regardless, this song is sad and still too true today. Fathers are integral in the upbringing of children. If we had more involved and loving dads in the U.S. we'd have less problems. How do I know? Just because I know. If you don't believe me, try it out.