The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-04-06
YifIlu,o,sd nislratth.
,rn.x -. APRIL g. 18Th
-- ..n pr. Lowell mason

An Hour ., Christian Advocate
ERcv. }. u. .ah,e DR.. Lowell Mason, know.,
Inc ven ven, az sacred music. has ncau'i'u'
I" all ~ u, orange 1t ia located on INC uio"n
home =. Uemhowered beneath the shade OF
ram I'' trees. Just in sight OF his s'noS
:M,.'nd3w a little brook goes Singing anu
Iancinc down its little pathway, no" ,eTp,
inc like little Niagara over some ,: al..,;r"
Horse. Shoe Fall. then. after n"gs' Ing ,ts
awhile in fairy lake; haslena liz u tho
tourney. A fit place this 70 'SI,nr t"
ih"rn md time the lvrc :" No wonder tiis'
nmr hearts have been charmed ny the muse
born under the inspiration that SUCH SUI
II was nv privilege to visit DR.. Mason a
tow i,rs aCo He il now in nus clEn'ie.n
roar Though somewhat feeble in BODY, nc
Is cheerful, aud his mind Is appa'cn'.s
vigorous as ever. AMER sitting t t,ta INV
in the parlor he said. Come ui n ,,,or ~
study \ have a nice place for such men as
..S. S,,r" enough il was. | at once found
;;,,rs.,f surrounded by more than tnou-
sanJ volumes of music. and gazed upon
Nv. r,,rs than n hundred of the old masters
NJ th" art s,rh rs Beethoven, Handel,
pc,talozz;, Mozart. and Mcndelsshon, who
look down from the walls on all sides oil
the room. He has nearly every notebook
and every work on music which has
ever beer, published: Among them mem
time book, a huge folio as large as the
largest family Bible. The print is very
coarse, and the notes about an inch IN
length. Books were not so cheap then as
now. and it was intended that it should be
set upon q rack, where dozen or more
could sing from the same book.
But the one which interested me most Is
a Quaint.looking volume called Aims
worth's Book of Psalms 1t is the ldentl-
cal book used by the Pilgrim Fathers IN
the church at Leyden before they embark
ed for America the Identical book which
was used in their service on the 9 May
flower" the identical book out Of which
they sung the first hymn when they landed
on Plymouth Rock. AS l held it in my
hand / could not but feel for 1t solemn
vcneration.
He related to me the circumstances I'M
der which he composed that grand old mis-
sionary tune, From Greenland's Icy
Mountains" which has doubtless been sung
In almost every church in every land. 1t
was in the year 1918. He was then residing
in Savannah, Ga. Many, no doubt, have a
supposition that this beautiful melody must
have cost it's author days, il not weeks, OF
study and labor. Not so, however. Tunes
g this kind, such as seem born to imInor-
not in this way, but rather
~. 49, """athings of inspiration.
talltv, COIN ." afternoon, he
from ,1,. the warm nnn ". Sabpa,. said to
met a Young lady friend, Who
him. 81 have here some beautliul Wolo.
70 which I can tnd no music. VIII You
not take them and write tune tor lncIn
He took the words home, sat down at ms
piano, and, drinking in their splrll, ne oG-
gan to breathe forth those no'eS "hIci,
have thrilled the hearts OF lnoliaahus' anu
in less than thirty minutes the tune WIS
completed. The words, be says, nave
very similar history. Bishop 1leoer com,
nn,sd them late one SATURDAY night, and
they were sung by the choir the next morn
ing at missionary meeting in his lathcr-ln-
laws church.
The doctors musical talents began to de-
yelop themselves 1t an early age. ne re-
members distinctly sitting upon his lathers
knee when he was less than three years old,
and singing correctly the tune OF " Rus
STA - which. by the way, Is rather dill-
cult melody.
He has lately published work on the
Pestalozziun Method OF Teaching Mu-
Sic" which will DOUBTLESS have wide clr-
culation among mllsic-teachers. He Is now
preparing "a Treatise on Harmony"
which he hopes, if his life is spared. to
publish within year. He says whatever
Gifts he has have for many years been con-
srrra.cd to the service OF the Master, and
n, he draws nearer and nearer his jour
news end. his faith in Christ becomes
stronger and his hopes more radiant. Goou
old man the prince of sacred song! lie
has served his generation well. His songs
will be sung on earth long after he has
Joined that loftier song with saints around
the throne.