Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1881-10-13

DR.. Bennett says ''the story of the origin
of the hymn, sThe Sweet By-and-By,' is
short one and soon told. From 1851 TO
1871 resided in Elkhart, Wis, where /
kept an apothecary store, and during that
per cd was associated with Joseph p. Web
ster, music teacher, IN the production of
musical works, composing the words and
he the music. Our first production was
The Signet Ring, our second The Beatl-
Uudes, our third 'I'he Sunday School Can
tata, and our fourth and last "The Great
Rebellion 1t was In the fall of 1873, when
we were at work on The Signet Ring. that
we composed The Sweet By-and-By. 1t
was composed for that work, and published
first in it. And this was the way we hap
pened TO compose il. Webster was an ex-
trenely sensitive and melancholy man, and
very prone to think that others had sighted
him. lie was always imagining that some
Old friend had spoken 10 him coolly, and
then dropping into bottomless dependency
about 1t until some casual meeting after.
ward dispelled the illusion. After awhile
| understood this weakness SO well that !
knew how TO take 1t, 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 lS74-l
could give you the day if had the copy
right 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, Webster, what
is the matter with you2' 'Ah,' he said,
nothing much. Ii will be all right by and
by That is so, | said, 'And what is the
reason that wouldn't be good subject for
a song-By-and-by2 With that snatched
up a piece of paper and went to writing,
and within fifteen minutes | handed hum
paper with these words written onit:
There's land that is fairer than day,
And by faith we may see 1t afar,
And the Father stands over the way
To prepare US dwelling-place there.
1--we shall sing on that beautiful shore
The melodlous songs of the blest,
And our spirits shall sorrow no more,
Not sigh for the blessings OF rest.
"'To our bountiful Father above
We will offer the tribute of praise,
For the glorious gIfi OF His love,
And the blessings that hallow our days
/" There, said, write a tune for that.
Webster looked it over, and then turned TO
man named Bright in the store, and said,
Hand me my fiddle over the counter,
please The fiddle was passed 10 him, and
he went 10 work at once TO make a tune.
And hardly think it was more than thirty
minutes from the time that he came into
the store that he came into the store that he
and l were singing together the words and
music just as you sec them here, on the
nineteenth page of The Slgnet Ring
We liked them very much, and were siRg-
ing our song, off and on, the rest of the
day. Toward evening, Uncle John Crosby,
as we used to call him, my wife's uncle,
came into the store, and we sung it TO
him. He was deeply affected by it, and
when 1t 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."
"a little. The tune is frequently writ
ten now In the key of G, instead of the key
of A, which is no improvement. AS TO the
words, | wrote a different repeat for each
stanza. The first was We shall meet on
that beautiful shore, the second was We
shall sing on that beautiful shore, and the
third was 'We shall praise on that beauti-
full shore As it is printed now, the first
repeat is used for all three stanzas. Then,
too the Methodists have added two whole
stanzas to the hymn. can't repeat them,
but don't like them"
"Were not you and Webster Meth0dists!"
mo, sir. We were both liberals, but
not members of any church. Webster has
never been connected with any church, but
had been Methodist in my youth, and
until l was nineteen years old.
''There Is story going around that you
and Webster were drunk when you COM
posed that hymn. Is there any truth in
iL2"
"There is not. Webster was in the habit
of drinking, but know he wasn't drunk
the day he composed that tune"
''What has become of Webster 2''
''He died at Elkhart of heart disease,
five or six years ago. His life went out
like flash. He was married man, ten
years older than |, and left four children.
His daughter is travelling now. and singing
The Beatitudes.' Webster used to adver-
tlse himself as author of Lorena' until he
wrote Sweet By-and-By,' bnt after that
he never said any more about LOrena."