Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1871-08-25
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Phoebe Cary7s Hymn.

Phoebe Cary's Hymn.
One of the best hymns in our collec-
tions is the following, written by Phoebe
Cary, who died a few days ago;
One sweetly solemn thought
Comes to me Ger and Ger:
I'm nearer TO my home to-day
Than have been before.
Nearer my fathers house,
Where the many mansions oe'
Nearer the great white throne,
Nearer the cryslaI sea.
Nearer the bound of life
Where we lay our burdens down
Never leaving the cross
Nearer gaining the crown.
But the waves ofthat silent sea
Roll dark before my sight
That brightly on the other SIDE
Break shore OF light.
OH if my mortal feet
Have almost gained the brink.
Ifit be ] am nearer home
Even to-day than L think
Father perfect my trust, :,
Let my spirit feel in death
That her feet are firmly set
On the rock OF living faltn,
In connection with this hymn, pleas
ant story is told, which we quote;
A gentleman in China, intrdsted with
packages fora 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 bedlam OF noises,
men getting angry over cards, and fire.
ouently coming to blows. Near him sat
I two men-one young, the other torty
wears of age. They we're betting and
drinking in terrible way, the older one
giving utterance continually to the foul
est profanity. Two games had been I'M
ished, 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 whilst
the older shuffied the cards. The man
was a long time dealing the cards, and
the Young man, looking carelessly about
the room, began to hum tune. he
went on, until at length he began to sing
the hvmn of Phoebe Cary above quoted.
The words, says the writer Of the story,
repeated in such a vile place, at tirst
made me shudder. A sabbath-school
: hymn in gambling-denl But while
|, the Young man sang, the elder stopped
!. dealing the cards, stared at the singer 6
ii moment, and, throwing the cards on thu
e floor exclaimed Harry, where did yol
learn that tuner" "What tuner "Why
that one you've been singing. Ih'
: Young man said he did not know wha
he had been singing, when the elder re
= peated the words with tears in his eyes
Z and the young man said he had Learned
them in Sunday school in America
Come" said the elder, getting ur
"come Harry; here's what | won iron
YOU 90 and use it for some good purpose
AS for me, as God sees me, l have play
es ed my last game and drunk my last bo
tie. | have misled you Harry, and
D. am sorry. Give me your hand, my DO.
and say that, for old Americas sake
for no other, you will quit this lnfern'
% business"
ed When this story reached Miss Car.
she wrote as follows to an aged friend
ose New York: 81 inclose the hymn and IL
/ to Of story for you, not because l am vain
Al the notice, but because / thought yc
ned would feel peculiar interest in the
/. when YOU know the hymn was write
. eighteen years ago QS42) in your hous
composed it in the little back third-st
/, ry bedroom, one Sunday morning, ait
coming from church; and it makes U
very happy to think that any word
could say has done little good in t
rs world"
A young lady, recently married to
farmer, one day visited the cow-hous
when she thus interrogated her mi
-OGf maid: By-the-by, Mary, which
,basa COWS ia IL that gives the butt