The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1893-02-22
ABOUT GOSPEL HYMNS.
FRA d. Sankey Talks About Moody In En-
gland.

1.-The Gospel Hymns started with
me in England. They were originally
called Spiritual Songs and there
were just fifteen numbers.
"The hymn book has grown" said
Mr.. Sankey, with smile.
The second book-the first Gospel
Hymns'-was compiled by myself and
the late Mr.. P. p. Bliss, who was killed
in the terrible railroad accident at
Ashtabula, Ohio"
''And what will you do next win
ter?"
''Oh, you see there will be enough
to do. There is the school at North
6eid, at which there are 700 young
men and young women. That was
started twelve years ago, and there
are now twenty or thirty buildings up
there"
81 suppose, Mr.. Sankey, that while
you were abroad with Mr.. Moody you
met many distinguished peopleP"
"Yes, indeed; while we were in En-
gland Gladstone attended our meet
ings. I don't mean to say that he
came to every one of them, but he
was present quite often at the great
meetings in Agricultural Hall, in Lon
don.
"And I well emember," said Mr..
Sankey, with smile, "the way in
which Gladstone addressed Mr.. Moody
when Lord Kinnaird introduced them.
Said the old statesman: Well, Mr..
Moody, you have a splendid physique
for your work
ayes said Moody, if 1 had your
head on top of it would do more
"'Oh,' replied Mr.. Gladstone smil-
ing, you have head enough, Mr..
Moody, and you are doing very ex-
ccllent work.
"The Princess of Wales attended
number of our meetings at Her
Majesty's Opera House, in the Hay
| market, and so did the Duchess OF
Sutherland. Mr.. Moody has been
preaching in Spurgeon's Tabernacle.
$50 there was particular appropriate
ness IN the song that I sang at oul
meeting at the time of the Dukes fun.
0ral, as just now told the convention
'"Not now. but in the coming. years
1t may be in the better land,
| Well read the meaning of our tears,
And there, some time, Wen understand.
why hopes are crushed and castles fall,
Up there, some time, wen understand
"And word came back to us thai
Princess May was very much pleased
by our remembrance. For twenty
two years suppose I've sung to more
people," said Mr.. Sankey, athan any
one now living"
"Did you ever form any idea as tt
the number of your converts, Mr.
SankeY?"
"Never. I might give you the re
ply of Mr.. Moody when he said: Mr.
Moody and Mr.. Sankey never coun
their converts; God alone knows whC
were converted and who not"
"What do you think were your mos
remarkable meetings?"
81 think the largest and creates
meeting we ever held was when WI
had 81, 1000 men present in AgricuF
tural Hall, London. The next great
est was the series at which we filed
at Wanamaker's, at Thirteenth anC
Market streets, Philadelphia, in 1876
H. 900 chairs. Then came Chicago
and Boston, with 5000 to 10000. ",
have refused large buildings of late
however, because we preferred to worl
through the churches"
Mr.. Sankey said he had not been il
Boston for ten years, and was having
delightful reunion with old friends
"Ah, it's the singing that makes
these meetings, is it not, Mr.. Sankey
Did you ever write any hymns?" wa
asked.
mo only very few, and then un
der nom de plume. don't aspire tt
be gospel song writer; but it is as
compiler that have been successful
We feel that our hymns are bein!
blessed to many a soul whom the ser
mon does not reach" was Mr.. Sankey'
, parting words.