Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-07-27


pels before she was 10. Then her mind
from her favorite authors. Because of
this fino memory she Is a very entertain
ing talker.
As Is the case with the blind her other
senses are very keen, and she knows
friends and acquaintance simply by q
touch Of the hand. An air Of marvellous
contentment Is apparent In her. She
loves her work, and is happy in II, for
she has the satisfaction OF being inde-
pendent thereby, besides the pleasure Of
knowing that her hymns are power for
good. They are sung everywhere, and
are suited TO all occasions. Keep Thou
My Way, o Lord" was written for
piece of music already composed, and
was used for several years as the prayer
song" at the MayHower mission con-
nectcd with Plymouth church, Brooklyn.
Her scope Of subjects is wide, embracing
everything from a contemplation Of
heaven, as in 1.-THE Bright Forever" to
an appeal to tho work of this world, as
In "Rescue the Perishing."
Miss Crosby tells an interesting story
of this hymn. One evening she attended
a mission prayer meeting and during the
services "Rescue the Perishing" was
sung. At its close a young man spoke,
telling how the sound of its familiar
words had helped to save him. He had
got into bad ways. and one night, when
homeless, penniless and hopeless, heard
some people singing it. He followed the
sound until it led him to a room where
q meeting was in progress. He went
in and sat down. The words impressed
him deeply. and he was finally 'res-
cued" by their influence. As the young
man finished his story, he expressed
great desire TO see the writer of that
hymn, and after the meeting the pleas
ure was granted, not only to his own but
to Miss Crosbys great qualification.
She told me three other incidents con-
nected with well known hymns of her
own, which will give in her language.
The first is about "Safe in tho Arms of
Jesus"
"While was coming out OF church
with Mr. Sankey after one of the North
field meetings, lady stepped up and
asked his permission TO speak to me. He
gave it, and she said to me: %, thank
God! / have prayed that might see
you before died. "Safe in the arms of
Jesus" was the last thing my mother
said before she went home.'"
The second shows one of the influ-
enccs arising from the hymn, Pass Ne
Not" and was told by the subject of the
story to friend of Miss Crosby.
IAN old man spent Sundays fishing in
brook near school house where Sun
day school and preaching services wero
held. One Sunday he heard tho children
singing, and said to himself: I'll go and
see what they are doing He went, and
heard them singing:
Pass me not, o gentle Saviour
Hear my humble cry;
While on Others thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
"The words seemed to touch him. He
listened several minutes until some kind
person invited him in. He said, No, |
am not dressed to come in After a
little persuasion he said, Il will if the
children will sing that hymn again His
request was granted, and the result was
the conversion of man who had not
been near church for fifty years"
The third relates the personal expert
ence which inspired her to write, "All
the Way Ny Saviour Leads Me-"
~ was sitting in my room on hot
day in July, thinking. Some one came
came in and gave me ten dollars.
didn't expect it. The gift awakened
train of thought, and ! reflected that,
step by STEP God was leading me, and
said, Praise God that cannot see any
more than dor"
This, in brief, is the career of Fanny
Crosby.
In this case, as in the case of all favor
ite writers, it is the personality-the life
behind the words-that makes them at
tractive. If have shown this person.
ality and character at all clearly at
tribute it to the influence Of the conver-
sations have had with Miss Crosby.
The following list of her best known
hymns, with dates when they were writ
ten, may prove interesting:
Safe In the Arms OF Jesus is.................1sG 1868
Pass Ne Not, Gentle Saviour. ........... ...IsGS
Rescue the Perishing 1869
am Thine, y Lord Observation-Disclosures.
10 the WORN. '.'-.''.
There's Cry from Macedonia a..............1SGi
Jesus, Dear | Come to Thee. .....,........,.ISG9
Light and Comfort OF My Soul ...............1s 1867
There's a Gentle Voice Within ..........-....IS 1869
The Bright Forever .........................lS 1871
Close 10 lhee 1873
Lord, at Thy Mercy Seat. at......,...,.........ls 1865