The Cairo daily bulletin., 1872-08-04
HEBER AND HIS HYMN.
ny REV. THEODORE l.. cuYLEn.


THERE have been men who have won an
honorable immortality in an hour a
brave word ftly spoken, or noble deed
promptly done, has given them place on
the bead.roll Of fame forever. Sometimes
in a happy moment Of inspiration poet
or an orator has "said or sung " what viii
last for ages.
One of these happy songsterss, whose
prandest strain was born in an hour, but
which tho world shalt never willingly let
die. was Reginald Heber, Bishop Of Christs
fiock in Calcutta. IL the great macs Of
Christians around tho globe were asked to
name the two English bishops whose
memory Is most dear TO them, they would
probably name Jeremy Taylor and Reg
inald Heber Yet the veneration and
gratitude felt towards the latter, is mainly
founded upon few lines which he threw
off in a sudden inspiration, and which
could be written on a single page.
Reginald Hcber was born at Malpas. in
Cheshire, on the 2lst Of April, 1888. lie
was precocious boy, and at seven years
of age he had translated Ph@drus into
English verse. His prize poem at Oxford
University OH " Palestine, written in his
twentieth year, stands ri q head Of that
class of somewhat ephemersl productions.
His " Palestine" will live, and so will his
tender and graceful lines to his wife at
Bombay, and So will his nautical hymn
When through the torn sail The tempest
is streaming" But nll his poetry, and his
Bampton lectures, and his able Quarterly
Reric,c articles, are weighed down by his
single iastchless missionary hymn. Its
composition was on this wise.
10. Ill .,t
Episcopal Church at Hodnet, in Shrop-
shire, he went 10 pay visit to his father
in.law. DIR. Shiplcy, then Vicar Of WreA-
in his thirty-second year, and had come 10
Of Sunday evening lectures in Dr. ship
leys church. In the morning of that
same day, DR.. Shpley was 10 deliver a
discourse in behalf Of the Society for the
Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign
Parts.
On theafternoou before Whi,sunday,
(lsl9), Herber aud his father-ir-law sal,
chatting with few friends in DR.. Shipley 5
parlor. DR.. Shipley, Knowing his son-in-
laws happy gift in rapid composition, said
to him, Write something's for us to sing
at the service Tomorrow morning Shor.
notice that--for man TO achieve his
Immortality. Heber retired to another
part Of the room, and in little time had
prepared three verses, of which the first
one ran thus;
From Grcenland's icy mountains:
From India's coral strand.
Where Afric's sunny fountains
Roll down their golden sand:
From many an ancient river:
From many u palmy plain
They called us To deliver
Their land from errors chain.
Ilcber read the three verses over, and
only altered single word. The seventh
line Of the second verse was
"rhe savage In hi blindness"
The author erased that word, and sab
stitrted for il the better word heathep.
There, there, coolly remarked DR.. Ship
ley, "thst will do very well.' Heber was
not satisfied, and said, mo, no the sense
is not complete. In spite Of his fathers
earnest protest, Heber withdrew for few
moments longer, and then coming back,
reading the following glorious buge blast
which rings like the rerei,ie of the milen-
nial morning:
"Waft, wait ye winds. the story
And you, We waters, roll.
Till like "a sea of glory,
II spreads from pole to pole.
Till DER our ran-Omed nature.
The Lamb for sinners slain,
Redeemer, King, Creator,
In bliss returns to reign
"What shall we sing 1t to-" inquired
DR.. Shipley. Mr.. Heber who had fine
musical ear, suggested a popular air called
Twas when the seas were roaring The
suggestion was adopted, and on the next
morning the people Of Wrexham church
listened to the first rehearsal of y lyric
which has since been echoed by millions OF
voices around the globe. The air TO which
it was sung originally has given place n,
least in our American churches, to sonc.
rous and lofty tune composed by DIR. Low.
! ell Mason. The air is worthy Of the
| hymn, and both are perfect No profant
/ hymn-tinker ever dared to lay his bung
4 ling finger on single syllable of thos,
four stsuzas which the Holy Spirit moved
Reginald Heber to write. Little did tn,
young rector Of Hodnet dream, as he list
ened to the lines sung that Sabbath morn
ing, that he was catching the first Strain
Of his own immortality. He "builded bet
ter than he knew. He did more to waf
the story of Calvary around the earth thar
if he had preached like Apollos, or hat
founded board Of missions. In tn,
monthly concerts, held in New England
school-houses, in frontier cabins, on tn,
decks Of missionary ships bound to "Cey
Ions Isle, and in the vast assemble. o
the American Board, Hebers trumpet
hymn has been sung with swelling voice
and gushing tears. IL is the marchn,
music to which Christs hosts keep step
a. they advance TO tho conquest Of tn
globe.
Heber lived but seven years after lh,
composition Of his masterpiece. In June
1923, he departed for Calcutta ms the mis-
sionsry Bishop Of India. For three year
he toiled and travelled necessarily, an,
wherever he went his apostolic sweetnes
of character and benignity won even tn
"hesthen in their blindness. After Ia
lorious days work at Trichinopoly, h
went 10 his bath to refresh his wear
) frame. He remained in the bathroom
until his attendants became alarmed, an
when then came in they found Reginal
, Heber asleep in Jesus. His gentle spir
had stolen away to Join in the "song {
NJ Moses and the LAMB -