The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-02
SANKEY'S MOST FAMOUS HYMN.


From the Denver Republican.
The last piece sung by Mr.. Sankey was
that one OF all his compositions which
has perhaps brought him the most fame
THE Ninety and Nine" Before singing
it he gave an account Of its birth. He
was in Scotland at the time. twenty-five
years ago. He was leaving Glasgow for
Edinburgh with Mr.. Moody. after having
conducted services for three months in
the former city. Going TO the railroad
station. he stopped al a newsstand TO buy
a paper to read upon the train some
thing IN a copy Of a re- giOus paper caught
his eye, and he purchased Il for penny.
Settling down in the car, he glanced over
the paper, and his eye CHANGED 10 Hgnl
upon some little verses In the corner OF
the page. He was pleased WIKI them, ana
he said to Mr.. Moody, I've found my
hymn" But his companion had no ears
for the hymn, then being deeply engaged
in reading a letter from home MI san
key read the verse aloud, but NJ. Moody
did not hear word, as was developed az
terward.
Mr.. sankey tore OF the corner Of the
sheet and put the verses in scrapDook
in which he pasted all verses and seni-
ments and songs which struck him as
available material for his work. This
scrapbook by the way, was the origina-
ton Of the Gospel hymns; but that name
was not bestowed by either Mr.. Sankey or
Mr. Moody but by a clergyman in the
North of England.
For several days Mr.. Sankey got no
time to make tune for the verses which
had struck him. Then, one day in Edin-
burgh. there was a great meeting, an I'M
usually impressive meeting, and the sub
1ect was THE Good Shepherd" When
DR.. Bonner closed his talk, Mr. Moody
beckoned to his partner and asked him
to sing something appropriate. Mr.. San
key could think Of nothing but the xxi
Psalm, and that had been sung so often
that he did not like to repeat il. And then
came an Inspiration a second thought
which was to sing the verses he had cut
from the paper But the third thought
was how he could sing them when he had
no tune for them. Then a fourth thought
came, and that was to sing the verses
anyhow.
He put the verses in front Of him,
touched his fingers to the organ keys,
opened his mouth-and sang. He did not
know where he was going to come out
and he says that whatever there is in
the song, God gave him in that emer-
gency. Having finished the verse amid
profound silence, he took a long breath,
wondering If he could sing the second
the same way. He tried, and accomplish
ed it, and after that through the other
verses, it was easy. When he concluded
the meeting was all broken down, the
ministers crying-Scotch ministers at that
Mr.. Sankey eXp5ains-and 1t was the most
intense moment he had ever known. MI
Moody came down to where he sat and
demanded to know where he got that
song. Mr. Sankey replied that he had
read it to him on the train, but Mr. Moo
dy said that he had never heard a song
ike that The song was sung at every
meeting after that, and was soon going
over the world. And while travelling in
the highlands a short time later, Mr.
Sankey received a letter from a lady at
Melrose, thanking him for singing the
verses written by her sister. That sis
ter was Elizabeth c. Clephane. He had
named the song The Lost Sheep" but
Mr.. Moody insisted upon calling it Nine
ty and Nine" whenever he announced the
hymn. and ultimately Mr.. Sankey had
to adopt that name.