The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-06-12
DEVOTIONAL SONGS.
Circumstances Under Which Some FaDoSS
Hymns Were Composed.

Circumsta noes Under Which Some FaDoUS
Hymns Were Composed.
Among modern hymns there IS prob
ably no greater favorite in Christian
households than Phebe Cary's beauti-
tiful poem entitled Nearer Home"
The circumstances of its composition
are simple, and are told by its author
in few words in a letter written to
the friend in whose dwelling the verses
had their birth. 1T was written"
says Miss Cary, ''in 1912. I composed
it in the little back third-story bed
room, on Sunday morning, after COM
ing from church, and it makes me very
happy to think that any word could
say has done a little good in the
world"
Among the many sweet and helpful
hymns sung at devotional meetings IN
this country few have taken stronger
hold than that beginning He Leadeth
Me- " It was welded by Bradbury to one
OF his tenderest and purest melodies, and
the words and music appear in almost
every church collection Of hymns and
tunes. The author of He Leadeth
Me" was the reverend j. H. Gilmore,
who wrote it in Philadelphia many
wears ago. 1t was after the author had
delivered lecture on the Twenty-third
psalm at an evening service, and while
few of the leading members Of his
society were developing the subject
still further in the parlor Of one OF
their number, that Mr.. Gilmore jotted
the hymn down in pencil precisely as
it now stands, save that the refrain has
since been added by another hand.
The poem Was handed by him to his
| wife, who sent it, without his knowl-
edge, to the IVatchnaan and Reflector,
in which paper it was soon after
| printed.
| The history of the beautiful hymn,
Il Would Not Live Away affords one
| of the most remarkable instances OF 3.
| double claim to authorship on record.
! It is almost universally accredited to
! Doctor Muhlenberg. and it may be a
| surprise to many to learn that strong
! evidence has been adduced to prove it
to have been written by Henry Ward,
a printer and poet who died in Litch-
field. Conn.,, in 1871.
Among the older rhymes which still
retain their place as masterpieces in
modern collections. one Of the most
sublime is Cowper's:
God moves In o mysterious way
His wonders TO perform.
An interesting and pathetic story Of
the origin of this composition is re-
lated by John Banyard, who was well
acquainted with the circumstances:
AS is we'll known, Cowper vas sub
ject to deep melancholy. which at ttimes
even amounted to insanity. During
one of these fits of depression, while in
London, the poet was seized with the
sudden impulse to drown himself. He
Immediately ordered q hackney coach
to be brought to his door, and upon its
| arrival he rushed downstairs and into
it without giving orders where it wsa
to be driven. On the driver asking
dim where he wished to be taken, he
! replied, excitedly: Ito the Thames"
The manner and look in which these
words were uttered convinced the man
that all was not right. He drove off,
but not to the river, as Cowper had
ordered him He drove up one street
and down another for long time.
while Cowper sat back in his seat in
mental abstraction. which convinced
the driTertths.at bis occupant was i'll
sane. ~~
After long, roundabout journey
| he at length drove up to the poets
| lodgings and told him he had arrived
where he was ordered" Cowper de-
scended from the vehicle, entered the
house and went to his room. Then, in
his returning consciousness, the truth
of the entire transaction entered his
mind, and he found that he had not
seen the river at all, nor had he
| drowned himself, as he intended when
he left the chamber two hours before.
In this occurrence Cowper plainly dis
cerned the hand Of Providence, and
| Immediately composed the famous
| hymn, which will be sung as long as
hymns are sung in religious worship.
Detroit Free Press.