Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-27
"LEAD, KINDLY LIGHT.
Cardinal Newman and Hs Famous
Hymn.

Eugene Field In the Chicago News
The hymn tinkerers, rs they are called have
taken all sorts OF liberties with the late Cardi-
nal Newman's famous hymn. known a. Lead,
kindly Light" or this poem the author has
the following to say in his Apologize: L was
aching TO get home, yet for want Of . vessel I
was kept at Palermo for three weeks Ithis was
In 1881. At last got of In an orange boat
bound for Marseilles. Then IL was that ! wrote
the lines, Lead. Kindly Light which have
since become well known. We were becalmcd
whole week in the straits OF Bonifacio I
was writing verses the whole time OF my
passage. And first / will say, what
ever comes OF saying il Cfor leave inference 70
othersl mat Tor wears must have had some
thing OF an habitual notion. though ID was
ia'ent ana had never led me 90 dis,rust my own
CONVICTIONS. that my mind had not found ia
ultimate rest, and that in some sense or other
was on journey. During the same passage
across the Mediterranean in which / wrote
Lead, Kindly Light also wrote the verses
which are found IN the lyra,' under the head
back"
The particular hymn in question IL OF three
stanzas only and runs in this wise:
Lead Kindly LIGHT; amid the encircling gloom.
- Lead Thou me on:
The night Is dark and am far from home
Lead Thou me on
ihe distant scene-one step enough for mo
81 was not ever thus noriprayed that Thou
Should lead me on.
l loved % choose and see my path but now
Lead Thou me on.
! loved the gariSh day, and, spite Of fears
frde ruled my will; remember not past yearA
$50 long Thy power hath blest me, sure IL stin
VIII lead me on
Ger moor and fen, Ger crag and torrent Nn
The NIGHT IL gone:
And with the morn those angel faces smIle
winch have loved long since and lost awhile"
One of the first things the tinkerers did WA
to hitch fourth stanza TO this poem, and this
was the stanza:
"Meantime along the narrow, rugged path
1hyself hast troi,
Lead. Savior, lead me home in chIldliKe faith
Home 10 my tod.
TO rest forever after earthly strife
In the calm light OF everlasting Hfe."
la many Of the hymnals the authors zone
step enough for me" has been changed 20 cone
steps enough for me-" II loved the garish
day has been weakened into Il loved the glare
OF day, Il" while for the line
'O'er moor and fen. DER crag and torrent
the vandals have substituted the commonplace
''o'er hill and dale. through stream and torrent"
The audacious liberties taken with the poem
vexed Newman to a degree. and several years
ago he served notice that his hymn consisted
OF three stanZas only. and that the fourth stanza
quoted above) was 1.-THE unwarranted addon-
dunn OF another PEN" The man who wrote
that filmsy fourth stanza is now the bishop Of
Exeter, but at that time he was editor of a de-
lectable periodical known as the Hymnal Com
panion. Few newspapers have quoted the
hymn correctly.
Much discussion has been had over the SUD-
posed obscurity OF some of the expressions IN
the poem. After he was created cardinal the
author pleaded that he twas not bound TO re-
member his own meaning whatever it was, at
the end Of almost fifty years" A friend comes
to the rescue and adds: The author of the
hymn having now embraced the Tridentine
doctrine OF 'purgatorium. a state of altogether
indefinite duratioa-so indefinitely prolonged
that masses for the dead are often endowed
without any stated period OF cessatiou-hss re-
signed the hope expressed in the hymn. or at
least would not venture TO utter IL, and, on
being Unexpectedly asked to explain the lines
affirming this hope, eyades the difficulty"
But Newman did not withdraw or apologize
for that poem. Had he lived somewhat earlier
he might have been compelled TO do both ere
the church would have received him.