The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-07

with a sigh. ut will be all right by and
| by"
like an inspiration the idea flashed upon
| Bennett. who had written several war
poems, to write some verses, and he said:
"Why not make a song of the sweet bye
| and bye?" Webster answered;
You write the verses and I'll make the
music J5A
Turning to his desk, Bennett hastily
| scrubbed line after line and in less than
| a half hour the verses were completed He
then handed them to Webster. who raised
| his violin just as two friends entered. Not
waiting to greet them, he drew his DOW
and without any hesitation played the
tune which since has been sung by mill
ions. He hastily jotted it down on waste
paper and in less than ten minutes from
| the time he began the composition the
| four men were singing THE Sweet Bye
| and Bye" Thus originated the words
| and music of a hymn which has given
| consolation to the whole Christian world.
| The characters in the drama are few
| and humble, the surroundings most sim
| ple-the poor respondent musician, the
young physician, two friends, and COM
mon office in a western town.
The composer, with his manuscript songs
under his arm, appeared in Chicago soon
afterward He hoped and expected to sell
the manuscripts for $25 each; this meant
! $3.50 or 5000 to take home. He went to the
music store of Root e. Cady, who had made
a fortune with "The Battle Cry of Free
dom" and other war songs. They examin-
| ed his manuscripts and took all except
1.-The Sweet Bye and Bye" That they
did not htink worth publishing
Poor websterl The song he had counted
upon most was rejected! He could not go
| to Higgins again, for Higgins had hurt
! his feelings and had refused to publish
any more of his songs. He finally thought
| of new firm of young men lately from
| Boston, Lyon & Healy. They had treated
him courteously, though they had publish
| ed nothing of his. Thus he came to Lyon
& Healy's store, where / was then in
charge of the retail department. Having
known his for several years, Igreeted him
warmly, and at once took him TO Mr..
Healy, who gave him his immediate atten-
| ton l remember so well the whole atti-
! tude of the man as he came in and APP
preached Mr.. Healy. He awakened keen
sense of pity, for he was as If he had lost
all hope; and l think 1t was this feeling
which moved Mr.. Healy, after listening
! to the song on the piano, to offer him S2O
for it. This Webster accepted, and seem
ed thankful for Little interest was shown
toward the song. Webster's popularity
| had waned greatly and has been over
| Swallowed by the enormous success OF
| George f. Roots war songs. Thus the CON-
poser of Little Maud and "Lorena"
was no longer sought and little attention
| given him After Webster had gone Mr..
Healy turned the manuscript of the song
| over to me, and l played 1t and hummed
it with perfect Indifference, not to say
| contempt, for its simplicity offended the
little knowledge I had acquired by study
/ ing Johnson's Harmony and Thorough
Bass" Mr.. Healy said with a sigh
''Oh, yes! wen have to get it out" and
then added. Poor fellow! l didn't have
the heart to send him away without taking
! it."
SO we got the song out with the least
! expense possible, the cheapest little page
we could get made and the lettering so
bad that we all felt ashamed to show 1t.
I placed It upon the counter, and there
| it was permitted to lie friendless, for
| never recommended 1t, feeling it's poverty
and insignifcance in comparison with the
| gorgeous Autograph title pages and ele-
gantly colored lettering of the other sheet
! music by which II was surrounded. Finally
| without the sale of a dozen copies, 1t was
| consigned to the wholesale shelves, where
| Mr.. Healy and myself mentally erected a
| tombstone inscribed Sacred to the mem
DRY of a poor musician" About year
passed, when Mr.. Whittemore, music
| teacher in the public schools of Chicago
! came in and asked me If / thought Mr.
| Healy would let him use ''The Sweet Bye
and Bye" in a Sunday school book he was
then compiling. said:
Certainly. without doubt, for the song
is of no use to us. 1t has no sale what
ever"
He went out to the office and presently
Mr.. Healy called to me to give Mr. Whit
temore a copy Of the song. Nothing more
| was thought Of the matter until nearly
year afterwards when we began to have
| calls for "The Sweet Bye and Bye" / re-
! member my surprise the first time II was
| asked for. A little school. girl, not more
| than u or is years old, came in very timid-
! ly, evidently unused to trading by her
self" and, standing or from the counter
| as II afraid to come nearer, said
"Have you a piece of music called The
Sweet Bye and Bye?' It's in Mr.. White
| more's book"
II is thus fair TO state that to Mr.. Hea-
/ ly's tender nature and TO Mr.. White
| more's recognition Of the merits of the
| song the world owes its knowledge Of
| Webster's inspiration. Mr.. Healy's and
my own utter failure 10 see anything In
| Il is only another instance Of how human
! Judgment errs, and this was. In my own
! case, most keenly emphasized when, af-
| ter having passed four years abroad stu
! dying, / returned to be greeted In New
York on the ferryboats, steamboats, and
railway trains with the strains Of Tho
| Sweet Bye and Bye
The Iase time I saw Webster was In
| Milwaukee, in the summer OF 1877 at
| Hempstead's music store. He was then
an invalid, the almost continual cough
ing betraying the serious nature of his
| disease. He asked me to play for him, as
/ had done when boy, variations on his
beautiful song, "Lorena," written by
Louis Staab. This ! did, to his intense
delight. Then / gave him an improvisa-
ton on Sweet Bye and Bye" which
had played recently In concerts AZ the
conclusion when ] turned about on the
piano stool. found Webster crying: vet
there was a smile upon his lips as he ex-
| claimed: