HYMNS THAT HAVE HELPED.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXIX, Issue 84, 6 June 1913, Page 8

HYMNS THAT HAVE HELPED.

Safe in the arms of Jesus, Safe on His gentle breast, There by His love o'ershaded, Sweetly my soul shall rest. Hark! 'lis the voice of angels, Borne in a song to me, Over the fields of glory, Over the jasper sea. Chorus—Safe in the arms of Jesus, etc. Safe in the arms of Jesus, Safe from corroding care, Safe from the world's temptation, Sin cannot harm me there. Free from the blight of sorrow, Free from my doubts and fears; Only a few more trials, Only a few more tears. Jesus, my heart's dear refuge, Jesus has died for me; Firm on the Rock of Ages, Ever my trust shall oe. Here let me wait with patience, Wait till the night is o'er, Wait till 1 see the morning Break on the golden shore. It is no easy question to answer "What is Fanny Crosby's most popular hymn?" The 3000 and more songs that have flowed from her pen express in so many ways the varied emotions and experiences of the human heart, and | make appeal in their own way to so many natures, that almost any hymn of hens that might be quoted would be found to be a favorite among some group of persons. But with none of her hymns is her name perhaps more widely known tham with "Safe in the Arms of Jesus," and few of her compositions are treasured with more tender sentiments of appreciation than "Saved by Grace." The first of these I was written on the inspiration of the moment. The latter was written by Fanny Crosby and preserved from the public for years as a personal comfort to its author. But no catalogue of Fanny Crosby's more popular hymns would be complete that did not mention "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour" ; "Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross" : "To the Work"; "Blessed Assurance ; "1 Am Thine, O Lord"; "Only a Beam of Sunshine" ; "Rescue the Perishing" ; "There's a Cry from Macedonia" ; "We Shall Know Each Other There"; "Just a Word for Jesus"; and "Saviour, More than Life to Me." Never a Sunday passes that millions of voices are not raised in praise with one or other of these songs upon their lips, for in Sunday schools and churches in her native land and in Canada, Fanny Crosby's hymns have won a deservedly sure place. It is peculiarly fitting that mention should be made of Fanny Crosby at this time, for she has just passed into her 91th year (she was born at Southeast, Putnam County, New York, March 24, 1820). The story of her affliction by blindness is commonly known. When but an infant of six weeks, a slight inflittnmation of the eyes necessitated the attention of a physician. But blindness followed. Though deprived of her sight, nothing seems to have been able to becloud the bright spirits and the sweet nature of the child, and throughout the long years of her later life her cheery optimism has been an inspiration to those who know her personally, and to the millions to whom she is known only in song. She has never been known to brood over her affliction. "Although it may have been a blunder on the physician's part," she has said, "it was no mistake of God's. I verily believe that it was His intention that I should live my days in physical darkness so as to be better prepared to sing His praise and to incite others so to do." Even as a child she did not allow her blindness to shut her out from appreciation <>f tho pleasures of childhood. "I could climb a tree or ride a horse as well as any of them," she has said. But hers was a tenderly sensitive nature. She was easily moved by the sounds of nature, the sighing of the wind, the laughter of rippling waters, the anger of the storm, the majesty of the thunder as it boomed In the unseen heavens, so that it does not seem strange that her sentiments found expression in verse. At the age of nine she went to Ridgefield, Conn., to live with a Mrs Hawley, a kindly Christian woman, who read to her much from the Bible, and from books of poetry, and it is recorded I that within a year she had committed to memory the first four books of the Old Testament and the four Gospels, She could also recite many poems. As she grew older she developed a keen, desire for knowie.'ge—a desire which, by reason of her physical infirmity, seemed, for a long time, to have no possibility of attainment; but in 1835, when she had reached the age of 15, she was sent to a school for the blind in New York City. This opportunity to improve her mental faculties filled her with inexpressible happiness. She was also greatly encouraged on learning that Homer, Ossian, Milton and others had become famous authors in spite of their blindness. Her mental development was rapid, and at the age of 22 she became a teacher in English grammar and rhetoric, and Greek, Roman and United States history in the school where for seven years she had been a pupil. Soon after she began teaching William Cullen Bryant visked the institution and spoke encouragingly to the young teacher of some verses of hers which he had chanced to read. "He never knew," Fanny Crosby said years afterwards, "how much good he did by those few words to the young girl who had hardly hoped to touch the hem of his proud robe of poetic genius." When Henry Clay's son was killed at the battle of Buena Vista, in 1847, Miss Crosby composed and sent to the grief-stricken father a poem of sympathy. Some time after, Clay made an address before the school; at its close, he sought out Fanny Crosby and leading her to the front of the platform, said: "This is not the first time I have felt the comforting presence of this young friend, although I never saw her before. Into the deep wounds of my sorrow she has poured the balm of consolation." She enjoyed a remarkable faculty of poetic composition. She has been.known to write as many as seven hymns in one day. Many of her best compositions have been produced impromptu. "Safe in the Arms of Jesus," for example, was written immediately in response to the desire of a friend. While he played the melody to which it is sung she produced the hymn. In 20 minutes after its first word was written, the hymn was completed just as it is used to-day. A friend of Fanny Crosby, who knows her intimately, says that generally when she is composing poetry she holds a hymn-book in her hand, as if its presence there inspired her. Seated thus quietly, she completes the whole hymn on which her powers are engaged before asking for the assieUac®

Blindness, of course, prevents her from setting down her own verses on paper herself. Most of her hymns were written with a view to publication, butin the case of those beautiful verses, "saved by Grace," she wrote the lines and then for some reason treasured them in her heart for yeans before giving them to the public. One day, in making an address, she repeated the beautiful lines, stating that she had been using them for her own comfort, a stenographer present wrote the words and sent them to an English firm. They first appeared in publication on the other side of the Atlantic, but were not long in making their way home again and in finding a foremost place in the hearts of all lovers of sacred verse. A very effective hymn swig in almost every Sunday-school is the one commencing: Pass me not, 0 gentle Saviour, Hear my humble cry; While on others Thou art calling, 1 Do not pass me by. Not all her hymns are signed with her maiden name. In 1858 Miss Crosby married Alexander van Alstyne, himself blind, a teacher in the school where she had taught. He was a 'brilliant musician and a fine classical scholar. They lived happily together until his death on June 18, 1902. It Was at her husband's request that she continued to sign her maiden name to her writings, though a few of her hymns bear her wedded name. Their child died at an early age. More than ever, as the years go by, the popularity of Fanny Crosby's hymns increases. In every gathering where the salvation of souls is the chief object of concern one or more of her compositions are sung. There are many to-day who can say with grateful, whole-hearted sincerity, "Thank God for for Fanny Crosby, and for all her labor of love and helpfulness!"