Sin's Reward- Marcum (Clay City, Ky.) 1932
[From the 1961 book, The Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles. Niles notes follow.
R. Matteson 2014]
(Niles No. 6 C)
This song was taken down from the singing of Preacher Marcum, who was carrying on a "tent preaching" (a protracted meeting) near Clay City, Ky., in July 1932. His home was in Breathitt County, in the Leatherwood district. He demanded to sing the song privately for me because there were words in it that would offend a Christian woman. It was the only "ballard" he would sing, and he made the exception because "Sin's Reward" possessed a powerful moral.
The melodic material was either not taken down or it was lost; at least, it does not appear on the page with the text. Here we have a version of "The Fair Flower of Northumberland" in which revenge is promised - a feature that does not appear in any of the original versions in Child's collection: the young lady's father "will repay." When Preacher Marcum came to the evil word,
he lowered his voice to a whisper.
Sin's Reward- Preacher Marcum; Clay City, Ky., 1932
1. As she did pass the jailhouse,
She heard a man make moan,
"I am a prisoner far from friends,
Am I am sad and lone."
2."I'd like to help you, my kind sir,
I'd like to do You well,
But you have wife and chil-der-en,
'Tis simple for to tell."
3. She helped him to his freedom,
She helped him to a horse,
She helped herself to trouble,
Her honor was a loss.
4. He was a gay deceiver,
She should have known before,
Now for her care and trouble,
She's got to be a whore.
5. "Come back, my child, my only one,
And harken what I say,
The ills this prisoner did You
Your father will repay."