Weekly Phoenix herald., 1883-08-09
The Cholera.
The Sweet By-and- By

Dr. g. Fillmore Bennett, practic ing physician Of Richmond, It,. small town southeast of Lake Gen eva, was visited and conversed wiil by a Chicago NslOs reporter witt reference to the authorship of the words and music of that remarkable popular Chris ian hymn called "Th, Sweet By-and-By-" Dr. Bennett il forty>fve years old, and the fatb el of a considerable family, including a son who is q recent graduate oi Rush Medical College. In stature the doctor is of medium height, and i quite spare. He is thin-vlsaged i wears thin mustacAe and goatec, aud is of not very light complex> ion. He has lock of hair, slightly ! grey, overhanging his brow, which gives him the look of person with the poetical faculty In his couver- sation he is clear, practical serious, and positive. He said;
 "l'he story of the origin of the hymn, The Sweet By -and-BE.' is short one and soon told. From 1861 to 1871 I resided in Elkart, Wis, where l kept an apothecary slore, and during that period was assoclat- ed with Joseph P Webster, a music teacher, in the production of musical works, composing the words and he the music. Our first publication was the 'Signet Ring our second The Beatitudes, cur third The sun day School Cantata, and our fourth and last, The Great RebellIon.' It was in the fall of 1864, when we were at work on The Signet Ring that we composed the Sweet By> and~By.' It was composed for that work, and published first in It. And this was the way we happened to compose it. Webster was an ex- | tremely sensitive and melancholy man, and very prone to think that others had slishted him. He was always imagining that some old friend had spoken to him coolly and then dropping into bottomless de- spondsucy about it until some casual meeting afterward dispellcd the illusion. After while l undei : stood this weakness So we'll that knew how to take it, and il gave me TO trouble at al. On the contrary, I used to aid him in getting over 1 those spells, generally by putting him to work, which, I learned by ex. 1 perience, was sure 10 relieve him. 50 one day in the Tall of 1864-I could give you the day if I 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. I knew at q glance what ailed him, but said to him pleasantly Webster, what is the matter with you?' 'Ah,' he said nothing much. It will be all rig i 1 by-and-by.' That Is SO said, land what is the reason that wouldn't be 8 good subject tor song-B By-and By?' With that I snatchcd up a piece of paper and went to writing and within fifteen minutes handed him the paper wiih these word: written on it.
 "There's land tLat IS fairer thar da, And by faith we can see it afar. And the Father stands over tho way
 To prepare us a dwelling plac
 therC
 "yye shall sing, on that beautiful l shor, The melodious songs of the bles And our spirits shall sorrow no | nor ,, Not 8 sigh for the blessings of rest
 "To our hountiful Father above
 We will olfer the trlbuse of prais'
 For the glorious gift of His lov
 And the blessings that hallow ou {, day e There I said, write a tune fj = that Webster looked it over, an : then turned to man named Brigh g in the store, and said: Hand Il ,- any fiddle over the counter, pleas, 2 The fiddle was passed to hlm. and ir went to work at once to make tun C And 1 hardly think it was moro tn . thirty minutes from the time wh, y he came into the s tore that he and 0 were singing together the words a le music just as yoNsee them here,