The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-12-29

Signet Ring that we composed The |
Sweet By-and-By.s 1t was composed for |
that work, and published first IN it. And |
this was the way we happened to com,
pose il. Webster was an extremely SEN
sitiVe, and melancholy man, and very |
prone to think that others had sGghted |
hin- He was always imagining that
some old friend had spoken 10 him cool |
ly, and then dropping into bottomless
dependency about it until some casual
meeting afterwards dispelled the illu-
sion After awhile understood this |
weakness so well that knew how to |
take il, and it gave me no trouble at all
On the contrary, / used to aid him in
getting over these spells, generally by
putting him to work, which learned
by experience was sure to relieve him.
So, one day in the fall of 1S74-I could
give you The day if had the copyright
here-I was standing at my desk in my
drug store, writing up my books, when
in came Webster looking uncommonly
blue. knew at glance what allied
him, but said to him pleasantly, Web
ster, what is the matter with your 'Ah,'
said he, nothing much. 1t will be all
right, by-and-by.' That is So said,
and what is the reason that wouldn't be
a good subject for song-By-aDd-By p
With that snaiched up piece of paper
and went to writing, and within fifteen
minutes / handed him the paper with
these words written upon it.
There is a land that is fairer than day,
And by faith we mag see IL altar.
And the Father stands over the way.
To prepare us q dwelling place there
1--WE shall sing on that beautiful shore,
The melodious songs OF the blest,
And our spirits shall sorrow no more.
Not sigh for the blessing OF resti
ITO our bountiful Father above,
We shall offer the tribute of praise;
For the glorious gift Of his love,
And the blessings that haIlow eur days.
"'There,' said, write tune for that
Webster looked it over, and then turned
to man named Bright in the store, and
said. hand me my f1ddle over the coun-
ter, please" The fiddle was passed to
him, and he went to work at once to
make a tune And l hardly think it
was more than thirty minutes from the
time when he came into the store, that
he and were singing together the
words and music Just as you see them
| here, on the nineteenth page of the
'Signet Ring We liked them very
much, and were singing our song of
and on, the rest of the day. Toward
evening, Uncle Crosby, as we used to
call him, my wife's uncle, came into the
store, and we sung 1t TO him. He was
deeply affected by it, and when it was
ended the spirit of prophecy came over
him, and he said, that piece is immortal
And he was right
HAS the song been corrupted any by
SO many publications 90
"a little. The tune is frequently
written now in the key of G., instead OF
the key of A, which is no improvement
AS to the words, wrote different re
peat for each stanza. The first was, I'VE
shall meet on that beautiful shore;' tht
second was, We shall sing on that beau
tiful Shore and the third was. we shall
praise on that beautiful Shore AS 1t il
, printed now the first repeat is used fol
all three stanzas. Then, too, the Metho
, dists have added two whole stanZas Il
the HYMN. can't repeat them, but
don't like them"
"Were not you and Webster Metho
dists?'
mo, sir. We were both liberals, bu
not members of any church. We wer
) Unitarians in sentiment. Webster hai
! never been connected with any church
but / had been a Methodist in my you'll
{ and until was about 10 years old.'
"There is story going around tina
! you and Webster were drunk when yol
i composed this hymn. Is there an
truth in it ~
J There is not. Webster was in tn
! habit of drinking, but know he WASH
drunk the day he composed that time i.
3 "What has become of Webster?"
I "He died at Elkhart, of heart disease
! five or six years ago, His life went on
! like flash. He was a married man, tel
: years older than l, and left four chi
! dren. His daughter is travelling now
I and singing the 'Beautitudes' Webste
J used to advertise himself as author c
' Lorena,' until he wrote Sweet By-and
) By but after that he never said an
5 more about Lorena."
'iHow did you first learn of the popu
{ larity of your hymn%
: well, we got Lyon s. Healy, of CHI
5 cago, to bring out the 'Signet Ring an
! they asked us to pick out three or fou
pieces to be printed on a circular, to &C
. vertise the work, and we selected 'Th
/ Sweet By-and-By' for one of them. Tn
I orders for the book came in so yer
. freely that they sold $4,000 copies in
' very short time. And it was not Ion
Z before we traced the enthusiasm to thi
) one hymn"
ain what other form has ii been pull
q Iished ~
"Lyon s. Healy, you know, wer
n burned out, aud rurned over their bus
/ ness to Oliver Ditson & Co., of Boston
who issued the hymn in sheet form, an
| it has had great run in that form eve
since. They sold 10000 in the first 81
months, and they have sold from coo
to 10000 year ever since. 1t is ais
, published in every hymn hook til;
, comes out, and the fee for using it in tn
! way is never less than $50.-Chicag
0 News.