The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-08-19
PHOEBE CARY's HYMN.



[From the New York Tribune.l
One of her hymns fayorite in many
Christian families and congregations-we
quote not only for its own sake, but because
there is story connected with it that we
wish to tell:
NEARER HOME.
One sweetly solemn thought
Comes to me DER and DER; sos
I'm nearer my home to-day
Than ever have been before;
Nearer my Fathers house,
Where the many mansions be
Nearer the great white throne,
Nearer the crystal sea;
Nearer the bound of life,
Where we lay our burdens down, tl
Nearer leaving the cross,
Nearer gaining the crown.
But the waves of that silent sea
Roll dark before my sight,
That brightly the other side
Break on shore of light.
o, if my mortal feet
Have almost gained the brink,
If it be am nearer home
Even to-day than think.
Father, perfect my trust,
Let my spirit feel in death
That her feet are firmly set
On the Rock of a living faith.
A gentleman in China, entrusted with
packages for young man from his friends
in the United States, learned that he would
probably be found in certain gambling
house. He went thither, but not seeing
the young man, sat down and waited, in
the hope that he might come in. The place
was a bedlam of noises, men getting angry
over their cards, and frequently coming to
hInxxyc Noor. hin, cot fxryo
the other forty years of age. They were
betting and drinking in terrible way, the
older one giving utterance continually to
the foulest profanity. Two games had
been finished, the young man losing each
time. The third game, with fresh bottles
of brandy, had just begun, and the young
man sat lazily back in his chair while the
oldest shuffied his cards. The man was
long time dealing the cards, and the young
man, looking carelessly about the room,
began to hum tune. He went on, till at
length he began to sing the hymn of Phoebe
Cary, above quoted.
The words, says the writer of the story,
repeated in such vile place, at first made
me shudder. A Sabbath-school hymn in
q gambling den! But while the young
man sang, the elder stopped dealing the
cards, stared at the singer moment, and,
throwing the cards on the floor, exclaimed !:
t'Harry, where did you learn that tune ?"
ssWhat tune? 'Why, that one you've
been singing" The young man said he
did not know what he had been singing,
when the elder repeated the words, with
tears in his eyes, and the young man said
he had learned them in Sunday school in
America. "Come," said the elder getting
up; "Harry here's what won from you !;
go and use it for some good purpose. AS
for me, as God sees me, l have played my
last game and drank my last bottle. have
misled you, Harry, and am sorry. Give
me your hand, my boy, and say that for
old Americas sake, if no other, you will
quit this Internal business" The gentle
man who tells the story Originally pub
lished in the Boston DAILY Neaos) saw these
two men leave the gambling-house together
and walk away arm in arm; and he re-
marks: cit must be source of great joy
to Miss Cary to know that her lines, which
have comforted so many Christian hearts,
have been the means of awaking in the
breasts of two tempted and erring men on
the other side of the globe a resolution to
lead q better life." TWAS a source of great
joy to Miss Cary, as we happen to know.
Before us lies private letter from her to
an aged friend, in this city, with the printed
story inclosed, and containing this COM
ment: 81 inclose the hymn and the story
for you, not because | am vain of the notice,
but because thought you would feel a
peculiar interest in them when you know
the hymn was written eighteen years ago
QS42) in your house. composed it in the
little back third-story bed room, on Sunday
morning, after coming from church; and it
makes me very happy to think that any
word | could say has done little good in
the world"