From the Levy Sheet Music Collection It struck me that the story was very similar to Villikins and Dinah. I have read that Villikins was a parody of a (dire) music hall song, but I don't know what it was. Not sure if this song is the sort of thing you want in the database.


OH I'M AS HAPPY AS A YOUNG SPRING CHICKEN
(Composed by T.E.N No more details Published 1868)

The object that you now behold,
  once loved a darling fairy,
In the shape of a blue-eyed darling child,
  whose father keeps a dairy,
Not far from the site of the Clayton road
  How well I knew it; rather!
She lived with her daddy, a cross old cove,
  and my loved one's name was Martha.

CHORUS: Oh, once I was as happy as a young spring chicken
Or the pretty little fishes in the water.
Those days are gone, and now I mourn
For Martha, the milkman's daughter.

She served out milk to all her friends
  from the bottom of a nice tin pail.
The only cow her father kept
  Was the one with an iron tail.
And that was kept in an old back yard
  Up against the white washed wall.
It always yielded plenty of
  Well I mustn't tell you all.
  (spoken) I don't like water by itself.

When the old boy used to go from home
  It was then that I'd call on Martha.
Tho' I loved the very ground she trod
  I'd objections to her father.
Unexpected he one day returned
  And upon me placed a check,
For he nearly shook me inside out
  And almost broke my neck.
  (spoken) I couldn't see it that way.

Then I used to wander by the house
  In hopes my love to see.
She'd take a survey from the third story front
  In hopes that she'd see me.
One day she threw a billet doux
  Which made my blood run cold.
Her daddy demanded that she should wed
  A fellow with a lot of gold.
  (spoken) The root of all evil.

In time the wedding day arrived
  When she was to be bound
To a rich old fool she couldn't love,
  But the bride could not be found.
They searched and searched and scanned the town,
  When at last they did discover
A note to say she'd gone away
  To die for her true lover.
  (spoken) And that's me.