Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-06-09
WoULD goT LIVE ALWA Y

As comes the perfect Hover;
lis faith exchanged for sight,
And wcafiness for power.
IL WOULD NOT LIVE ALIVA y
THE TRUE HISTORY or ONE OF THE
SWEETEST OF HYMNS.
The authorship Of the well-beloved
hymn, 81 would not live alway,n is
called into question by Mr. o. IL. Har.
pei, Of Cincinnati editor of the forth
coming yolumeot Hrhc Poetry of Print
erdom, = who says that he can establish
the fact that the hymn was written by
Henry Ward, a printer, in 1922 and
that the original manuscript was taken
| by Bishop Heber to II Methodist confer
ence in that year The story which Mr..
Harpel brings forward has been told
before, the last timen 1883, ,whenit tenn
porariy attracted much attention, but
was UNDECIDED by DR. Muhenberg, the
veritable author of the hymn, until he
was requested by some Of his clerical
brethren TO assure them Of the facts and
set their doubts at rest His only an
swer was characteristic III you think
! am capable of letting the work Of an
otherpass for so many years asmy own,
you would not be sure of anything !
might say and these words then 81.
fenced the story. On Thursday he at
first spoke of the same import when
asked whether he would furnish data
from which full history of the hymn
might be written TO relnte fully and
forever, Mr. Harpels assertions. 81
wrote it, said he, decidedly "why of
course ! wrote it, he continued, with
redoubled energy. Twenty years ago
this man Ward published that he wrote
it and copied it. thought then that
could not with dignity enter into a
controversy with him and ! think |
cant now. He was crazy he must
have been. That was ALL Just pic
turc now the same card that printed
in 1853 and it will be enough
DIR. Muhlenberg's full name is Will
lam Augustus. He was born in Phila-
dolphia, in l796, and is the great grand
son of tho Rev. Henry Melchoir Muh-
lenbcrg the founder Of the German
Luthcrn church IN America. lie Is
the grandson, too, of Gen. Peter Muh-
lenberg the patriot clergyman who one
hundred years ago was settled in Wood
stock, Va, and who, mounting his
pulpit one Sunday morning early in
the Revolution, preached his last ser
mon upon the duties which men owe to
their country, saying in conclusion,
"There is time for all things-a time
TO preach and time to fight-and now
is the time to fight, " with which words
he stripped off his clerical gown, ap-
peared in full uniform, read his com
mission as colonel in the American
army, and straightway formed n regi-
mcnt among his parishioners. From
his grandsire down Dr. Muhlenberg
inherts the remarkable energy that
has made his life so useful. He was
ordained a clergyman Of the Episcopal
church about 1920. He preached for
some time in Lancaster, from which
place he removed TO Flushing, l.. L.,
and thence to New York, where he be-
came rector of tho church Of the Holy
Communion, memorial church built
by his sister But his greatest work is
st. Lukcs hospital, which he projected
and built, increasing fund Of $50 in
1916 to over 5000, 900 in 1857 and since
its completion he has presided over il
as superintendent and chaplain, occu-
lpyingasuite OF large, modestly furnish
ed rooms in the first story, and wor-
shipped by all officers and patients.
There he was found on Thursday, a
man of nearly so years, of medium
height and slender figure, with a long,
strongly marked face, firm square
mouth, and prominent nose. His
white hair escaped from the confines OF
a small black velvet capthat he always
wears in his room, and his clothes were
black, of clerical fashion. In manner
he was dignifed and courteous, pro-
testant vchemenently, though, against
any publication that might seem to in
dicato that he felt il necessary TO de-
fend his long-cstablished claim to the
beautiful hymn, but finally furnishing
as historical matter the following facts:
"l did not write the hymn" said he,
"as il is now sung IL was longer,
much longer, and was first published
. more than fifty years ago / revised
three or four years ago, and published
il through Whitaker 4 Co., with some
"reminiscences, which will give you all
the details you may want" According
to the notes referred TO by DIR. Muh-
lcnberg, the original hymn first appear.
cd in the Episcopal Recorder, in Phila-
delphia, in 1924 That it was written
on an occasion of private grief is O
fancy. In 1926 the general convention
of the Episcopal church appointed o
y committee to prepare collection Of
hymns, TO be added to the fifty-siX
then the whole number attached to the
! prayer book. This measure was in
consequence Of an awakened interest
in hymnology, owing to articles on
"Church poetry and "a plea for
christian hymns addressed TO the
nagnatcs Of the church by DR.. Mullen.
berg through the religious press. lie
was chosen by the convention as one
( of the committee, and the Rcv. DR.. II
Onderdonk, the rector Of st. AIMS in
Brooklyn, Us another. DR.. Mullen.
: berg was further appointed on sub
committee to pass preliminary judg
ment upon all hymns submitted. Two
years before he had published in th,
Episcopal Recorder the following poem
the original form of the hymn;
= TIE ORIGINAL HYMN
| would not live slway-- live Away below
Oh, no III not lingcr when biddcn 10 60,
The dayt OF our pilgrimage granted Us here,
Arc enough for lives woes, full enough for ischeor
Would | shrink from the paths which the proph
cts Of God,
! Apostles, and martyrs, 50 joyfnly trodi
Like spirit unblest DER the earth would roam
while brethern and friends are all fastening home
wonld not live nlway; / ask not to stay,
where storm after storm rises dark o'cr the way
Where, seeking for rest, We but hover around,
Like the patriarch's bird, and no resting s found
where hope. when she paints her gay bow in the air
Leaves radiance 10 fade In the night Of despair
And Joys neeting angel ne'sr sheds glad ray,
Save ihe CLEAN ofthe plumage that bearfhm away
i would not live alway--thus iettsred BY sin.