London, W. Paxton. 1900. With a monochrome lithograph cover with small floral ornamentation round titles and a large inset photograph of a soldier comforting his tearful mother. As he leaves for 'The African War' One of the verse lines is 'But Kind heaven will guard you on Africa's plains' so clearly relating to the Boer War. The composer Maud Mellon is obscure but the arranger Ezra Read(1862-1922)was born in Willenshaw, Staffordshire .He was apprenticed to a blacksmith but at 15 started to study the piano with his brother Colin. Apparently Ezra and his wife turned out between 5000 and 6000 compositions and used 120 pen names because they didn't want to flood the market. One wonders if some of those other mystery composers of the era are, in fact, Ezra and Ida under different names! So maybe Ida Read is Maud Mellon? Folio size with music. Condition VG .