Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-05-18
Frances Lnughton Mace.


the Boston Globe, where the well
known and beloved Henry McGlenen
had asked his friend Joseph White, to
sing his hymn, "Only Whiting" at his
funeral when he should die, adding
that it was the most beautiful thing he
had ever heard, invites friend of the
author TO give brief history of the
hymn and something of its originator,
now lying deplorably i'll at her lovely
home in San Jose, Cal.
She was brought to this condition
through fevered anxiety and watching
by the sick bed of her "bluc-eyed
summer child" sweet June Mace, who
two years ago passed from her sight
into the land of eternal bloom. 1t
may prove of interest at this time and
in this connection.
Frances Laughton, daughter of DIR.
Sumner Laughton, n well-known
physician of Bangor, Me-, was the
author of this song. One year after
its publica ton she became the wife of
benjamin f. Mace, lawyer of Ban
gor. They resided in that city until
1885, when they removed to San Jose,
Cal, TO secure the necessary advah-
tages of a warmer climate.
The history of "Only Waiting" holds
peculiar interest from tke crcum-
stance under which it was written,
and the youth of the writer. OF her
self she has said: mine was a silent,
dreamy childhood, haunted by visions
of impossible poems, a lead pencil and
scraps of paper scrolled over with
verse, hidden away in hooks and cor
ners."
At IS years of age some of these
found their way into the Waterville
Mail, and others later into the New
York Journal of Commerce.
She was but 1s years of age when
she sent forth through the columns or
the Waterville Mail her ia Nfamad and
pathetic hymn.
A friend calling upon her one day.
when poetry, as usual, engaged their
thoughts, remarked that she had
brought her a subject, to which her
attention had been called IN the news
paper.
A very aged man in an nlmshouse.
having been asked what he was do
ing now, replied, "Only waitingp
This friend proposed hec writing a
poem upon the theme. She went to
her small study, and, in little time,
had completed the stanzas as they
now appear. The young lady. who
gave her the incident is now the wife
of Professor Marden of Colorado
Springs college.
Under the signature of 'Tnez" the
poem appeared in September, 1854. II
was copied far and wide, and found
its way as a nameless waif into vari-
GUS fine collections of poetry and
music. Inquiries for its authorship
became constant and urgent One
and another laid claim TO 1T, the most
persistent of whom was a Western
woman, whose rights for time re
manned unquestioned.
At last the fact of its ownership wa,
elected by the inquiries of Dr. James
Martineau of London, who male q
thorough investigation of the two fold
claim. Upon this followed true his
tory of the facts in the case, given in
the New York Independent, by the
well-known hymnologist, Professor
Bird of Lchiyh university, giving full
proof Of its identity.
Thus was Frances Laughton Mace.
rightful claim fully established the
defeated aspirants to the honor leav-
ing the field clear.
IL has since been incorporated Ia 3
volume of her poems entitled, lie
gends, Lyrics and Sonnets," Boston
1888. This publication was followed
in 1888 by a second volume of later
poems, with title, "Under Pine and
Palm" as designation of her former
Northern home, under the pines o.
Maine, aud the palms of California.
OF Mrs. Mace's personality one
has said she is ''of commanding
presence, with a certain statu-
esque calm evident TO I'll who ap
proach her. yet so genial withal, Sc
true in her instincts, so strong in hel
affections, so alive to all beauty and
goodness that one cannot In his esti
mate separate the woman from The
poet"
The highest planet shines as uncon'