The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1891-07-03
NUMBER 10.
DARLING NELLIE GREY"
The origin Of One Of the sweetest Songs
Ever Set to Music.

Cincinnati Times Star.
There are few persons who know
The oriein of thai beautiful and
ever-endtrine little song, SO, Nv
Darling Nellie Grey" or The cir
cumstdnceS rnder which 1t was
written. The song was written II
year or two before the late war,
and the author of The words and
composer of the music was young
school teacher named Benjamin X.
Harnby. H2rnby was an instruc-
tor in struggling little academy
at Seven Mile, Butler county,
Ohio. lie was also a preacher,
and 10 some extent a musician
anG an aholitionist with fiery ha-
lred for everything connected with
the slavery OF the blacks.
The tender, passionate little song
that afterwards became so famous
was conceived, outlined and almost
completed on the way to Cincln-
natl from Hamilton one afternoon.
The Inspiration came from a Cin-
cinnatl paper which llarnby had
accidentally picked up and which
contained an account Of The man
ner in which a beautiful auadrOOn
girl had been torn away from her
slave lover and carried 10 the
Southern market stalls TO be sold
at auction. The quadroon name
was Nellie Grey The account
filled Harnby with horror, and he
utilized The incident In his song,
which was almost completed by
tire time he reached his deslina-
iion. Upon his return home he
remOdeled it 10 Il certain extent
and applied few finishing touches.
1t l. evident that he didn't appre-
ciate the possibilities of the pro.
duction, for he let it lie around
awhile and then sent il 10 Chica-
go with note to The effect that it
they saw anything in the song they
might publish it. lie received no
reply, and he first intimation he
had of The fact that 1T had been
published and had met with
splendid reception was six months
later when visiting young lady
acquaintance at Ohio. lie request
ed her TO sing for him, and she
compiled, saying she would sing
him sweet little song she had
just received and which she re-
marked, had by a strange coinci.
dence been written by a person
with :he same name as his. She
lhereupon proceeded, much to
Harnhy'S surprise, TO sing "Nellie
Grey"
The song made a hit as soon as
published, and experienced a re-
markable run, and the publishers
made a small fortune off of it, but
somehow overlooked Harnby in
the division of the proceeds. In
fact, they even neglected to send
him a copy Of the song until he
wrote for it, and then they sent
him six. This was all the pay he
ever got.
Harnby came of a musical fami-
ly. HIS father was The compiler
OF Il United Brethren hymn book,
which is still IN use in some places,
and lie had several brothers and
sisters who were also muslcalIy
inclined. Harnby himself com
posed a number of songs, several
Of which were afterwards publish
ed, but "Nelie Grey" is The only
Dne which received a remarkable
reception. 1t has been translated
into several foreign languages and
known and loved all over the world
Tor its sweetness and tenderness of
sentiment. Harnby died a few
years after the war, in obscurity
and poverty, as he had lived all
his life. The fact that he was the
Harnby that wrote "Nellie Grey
was known 10 none save a few in
Innate friends. He lies in tho
cemetery at the place of his birth
-Weslerville, small village
lbout twelve miles north of Co.
Ohio. His grave is mark
sd by no sign of di,tinguishmenI.
lhe green ward is his only tomb
stone. the sweet song that has
blessed thousands of hearts is his