Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-12-14

VIM ~ tA'NAA'h fAh'NNhffN
and Inspirins-siory Of Her Life.
The woman who has written moro Sum
day school hymns than any other ten liv-
Ing writer's has her home 10 this city, Her
maiden name was Frances Jane Crosby,
and she Is always iamiliarly called Fanny
Crosby. the name attached TO some Of her
hymns. Few Of the Thousands who week
Is sing the words she has written know
that she f. blind aud has been 10 ever since
she was ak weeks old, through ineltrclt'
mont OF the eyes for some slight disease
She IL now sixty.ono years % age.
Visitors TO the music publishing house
that prlnta the majority OF her hymns may
nee on certain days la the week n shrnnkon
figure IN black dress and coiorcd spec.
tacles either entering, guided by some one
who has brought her from her up town
home. or feeling her way around among
the desks and avenues OF books, helped
now and then by the employees Of the
place, who all like the little woman. A
smile generally lights up her face, and she
speaks In the voice u one who IL seldom
md. A certain rocking chair Ia back
room 4 devoted TO her use, and she comct
down 10 occupy 10 several times n week,
Probably no other house Ia existence has
20 regular u composer of one Kind Of writ
Ing hymns. She furnishes by contract a
fixed number each week, some Of which
are NJ once used, some not. She Is con
bidercd % have marvellous faculty for
knowing what will sing" and does con.
siderable revising Of the hymns OF others
10 make them suitable for music.
Miss Croshy's method Of work IA unique,
even Tor blind person. While composing,
fhc always holds closely over her eyes n
small opened copy Of some book, Golden
Hymns" buug hcr choice II that IL ayaila.
Bile. When the piece "a finished 10 her sat
isiaotlon she dictates II 10 some ono who
writes Il out NJ copy" Generally tho
music Is composed after the stanEas hrs
written. though sometimes she Ia required
70 mako vcrscs for tunes, new or we'll
known. Another Of her spccialties Is tho
composition OF al the hymns and reclta.
lions required Tor annuals used by Sunday
schools on Christmas, Easter, Chiidrun's
Day aud like occasions, and sometimes sha
performs this service for the celebration OF
Ruy special date In single church.
0ilu AT SCHOOL.
When fifteen years old Fanny Crosby
was removed from her home 70 the Instltn.
tlon for the Blind this city She received
~ good m education In this school that
ahc atterward taught there English gram.
mar, rhetoric and Greek. Roman and
American history for eleven years before
her marriage. Her aft for rhynilng
showed Itself early. and her hrst piece was
composed at the age Of eight. She says IL
has been the motto Of her life and the We.
crut OF her ohoerfilness,
Oh. what a happy soul am,
Although cannot scci
] am resolved that In this world
contsniod viii 10.
How many blessings enjoy
That other people don't;
To weep or sigh because I'm blind.
icannot nor wont.
While tsaoher she wrote words 70
many songs Tor George r. Root, the we'll
known composer, some OF them became
very popular and arc fayorites stlli, among
them "llazel Del, ""Rosalie, THE prairio
Flower Proud World. Goodby," "lm
Going lIome,h "ioneysuckle Glen aud
'rhero's Music In the Air." The words
Tor some successful c.,ntgtAa, notably "rha
Flower Queen" and "The Pilgrim la.
thors,' were included IN her work.
Miss Crosby was selected 20 read a pobm
In the senate chamber she was the first
woman TO speak there In public capacity.
uEG LIrE WORK.
Her living, lasting work was begun IN
1864, ak year, after her marriage with
Alexander Van Allatync, also from the In.
htltution Tor the Blind. 10 that your, NJ
the request Of William n. Bradbury, tho
famous composer II sacred music, she be.
gan TO write Sunday school hymns, aud
found her real life work. The drst hymn
she ever composedi
We arc going, We are going
TOa home beyond tho skies.
Came into existence at the Ponton hotel,
Franklin street, New York, ON Feb. 0,
1854, aud ever since it, author has earned
her living by writlnghymnS. In tho TWEEN.
ty-scvon years since then she has oonpo..d
nearly $500 hymns for Mr.. Bradbury and
tho firm which were his huccessors, BE.
side these, she has done the same kind OF
work for many well known men, phillp
Phillips among the rest.
The hymn by which she is most widely
known, Safe In the Arms OF Jesus wa,
composed Ia 1885, Il Ia her own fayorita.
In the same year she produced the well
known ono beginning
Pass me not. o gentle Saviour,
Hear my huInbloesy.
Each succeeding year Miss Crosby has
written hymns that have sung their way
into many hearts. and have heon trans
lated into many tongues. Notable among
them are "Rcsoue the Perishing,n written
In 1862, also Jesus, Keep Mo Near thu
Cross aEd keep Thou My Way, o Lord"
piece composed to suit the music. II was
used for several years rs the prayer song ~
tue Mayhowor mission connected with
plymouth church, Brooklyn. In 1871 "rhs
Bright Forever" was written In isll
Close 10 rhee,s IN 1874 20 Come 20 tho
Saviour" Like the Sound Of Many
Waters,h and "Savlonr, More Than Life IA
Moi' In 1919 ~ AN Thiuc, O Lord, % "so
Near TO the Kingdom, aud 20 My Saviour,
Hear Me-"
rRErERs TO M nLSD.
There are many interesting Incident,
connected with some N Mis- Crosby'l
hymns, aud those which come 10 her knowl.
edge are carefully treasured. She tolls thi.
story Of how she came 10 write "All the
way Ny Saviour Loads Ma.n II was sit.
ung In my room on a hot day IN july
thinking. Some one cAme Ia aud gave fna
ten dollar. ldidn't expect IT, The glft
hWAh'hei @ train Of thought, and reflect.
ed that, step BY step God was leading me,
anu said, Praise Cod that cannot SEQ ans
more than dor"
DO you really mean thatF har nearer
asked, astonhhod. 40 you mean YOU ara
glad you cannot Hoof"
Yes, lmean Just that, the littlo vornan
SAID 81 wouldn't change n could. Tor
ieel this IL brsi for me, Why, u Ind not
he'u hlnd should never have had .l good
hn education nor know 40 many beautiful
things by heart II 1 could 400 nerhnv.