Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-01-28
MIsc,ELLANE0US,
From Greenland's 10y Mountains.

There have been men who have won an
honorable immortality in an hour. A brave
word fifty spoken or noble deed promptly
done, has given them place on the bead roll
OF fame forever. Sometimes in happy mo,
ment OF inspiration poet or an orator has
''said or sting what will last fur ages.
One of these happy songsters, whose
grandest strain was born in an hotir, but
which the world shall never willingly let die,
was Reginald Heber, Bishop of Chris.'s flock
IN Calcutta. If the great mass of Christians
around the globe were asked to name the two
English. bishops whose memory is most dear
to them, they would probably name Jeremy
Taylor and Reginald Heber. Yet the vene,
ration 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 single page
Reginald Heber was born at Malpas. in
Cheshire. on the 2lst of April, 1888. He
was precocious boy, and at seven wears of
age he had translated Phcdrus into English
verse. His prize poem at Oxford University
on "Palestine. written in his twentieth wear.
stands at the head of that class of somewhat
ephemeral production. His Palestine" will
live and SO will his tender and graceful lines
to his wife at Bombay, and so will his nauti>
cal hymn "When through the torn sail the
tempest is streaming" But all his poetry,
and his Bampton lectures, and his able Quar-.
fcr!y Rev'e,o articles are weighed down bv
his single matchless missionary hymn. Its
composition was on this wise
While Reginald Heher was rector of the
Episcopal Church at Ifodnet, in Shropshire.
he went to pay visit to his faher-in-law.
DIR. Shipley. then Vicar of Wrcxham on the
border Of Wales. IIeber was in his thirty
second year. and had como to Wrexham to
deliver the first of series of Sunday evening
lectures in DR.. Shipleys church. In the
morning of that same day. DR.. Shpley was to
deliver discourse in hehalf of the s.Socetv
for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign
Parts.''
On the afternoon before "Whitsundav"
1Sl9). lIeber and his father-in>law sat chat
ting with few friends in Dr. Shipley's parlor.
DR.. Shiplcv, knowing his son.in.law's happy
gift in rapid composition. said to him, "IVrite
something for us to sing nt the service to-
morrow morning" Short notice that-for a
man to achieve his Immortality. ueber re-
tired to another part of the room, and in
little time had prepared three verses. of which
the first one ran thus:
''From 6 GTeenland's icy mountains.
From Indis's coral strand,
Where Arics sunny fountains
Roll down their golden esnd
From many anCicnt river;
From many pslmy plain
They call us to deliver
Their land from errors chain" '
Heber read the three verses over, and only
altered single word. The seventh line of
the second verse was
THE savage in his blindness"
The author erased that word, and substitu-
ted for it the better word Aeatlem. "There,
there cooIly remarked DR.. Shipley, that
will do very we'll" Hebcr was not satisfied,
and said mo, no !; the sense is not complete" !"
In spite of his father in laws earnest protest,
Hebcr withdrew for few moments longer,
and then coming back, read the following
glorious bugle b!ast which rings Ike the
reUettfe of the millennial morning:
"watt, watt ye winds. the story,
And you, Ye waters, ROLL
0a Till like n sea of glory,
IL tpreads from pole to pole
Till "'cr our ransUned nature,
The Lamb for sinners slain, .s
RedccIn-r, King, Crc,ICr.
In bliss returns to reign -
r'N hat shall we surg 10 it z" inquired Dr.
Shiplcy. hlr. Heher who had a fine musical
ear, suggested popular air called. Twas
when the sens were roaring" Tie suggestion
was adopted and on he next morning the
people of Wrexham church listened to the
first rehearsal of a lyric which has since
been echoed by millions of voices around the
sung mas given place, at least in our Ameri-
eau churches: to a sonorous aud lofty tune
composed by DR.. Lowell Mason. The air is
worthy of the hymn, and both are perfect
No profane hymn>tinker ever dared to Law his
bungling finger single syllable of those
four stanzas which the Holy Spirit moved
Reginald .Heber to write Little did the
young rector of Hodnet dream, as he listened
to the lines sung that Sabbath morning that
he was catching the fret strains of his own
immortality. He ''builded better than he
knew" He did more to watt the storyeof
Cavalry around the earth than if he had
preached like Apollos. or had founded board
OF missions. In the "monthly coucerts,"
held in New England schoolhouses, in fron>
tier cabins, on the decks of missionary ships
bound to "Ceylon's Isle." and in the vast as
semblies of American Board, Heber's trum-
pet-hymn has been sung with swelling voices
and gushing tears. Tt is the marching music
to which Christ's hosts ..keep step" as they
advance to the conquest of the globe.
Heber lived but seven years after the COM
position of his masterpiece. In June 1923,
he departed for Calcutta as the missionary
Bishop'of India. For three years he toiled
and travelled necessarily, aud wherever he
went his apostolic sweetness of character and
benignity won even the "heathen in their
blindness" After laborious days work at
Trichinopoly, he went to his bath 20 refresh
his weary frame. He remained in the bath
room until his attendants became alarmed,
and when they came in they found Reginald
Heber asleep IN Jesus. His gentle spirit had
stolen away to join in the .tsong of Moses and
the LAMB."-Neio York Evangelia.