Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-01-31
eENESIS OF A SONG.
,aN THE SWEET BY AND BY,' ~ CAME TO BE WRITTEN.

singing the song.
 !. Richmond, q little, town of less
 GOO inhabitants, almost on the nas .barn boundary line of Illinois, lives s9u'@h author of s'In the Sweet By and a las H. is a practicing physician and ?, ,nnder 60 years of age. The immortal a.mo was written when he was only 31 .d;s the single song of his life. a'r nn,ina the civil war wave of moral .,.Tatjon and intellectual activity pass aver the country. In this grand gakening of the conscience there was a s's sa,d af music-martial religious, do- y sstic George r. Root and Stephen j. Sostar Ss were both writing songs that r sSod and Sunday school hymns passed aat n' of the driveling period into one of sIsvated simplicity.
 '~ Isst at this time Samuel Fillmore u0nuett was graduated from Ann Ar ssr p Mich, and began a newspaper ca ser m at Elkhorn, Wis, on The Independ- sat | P. Webster, the musical com a0sar. was living i'll the same town, and ' uas only q few months before the .aitor and the musician were collaborat- m The war interyened. and Lieuten- .aI Bennett of the Fortieth Wisconsin ~ounteers returned to Elkhorn to open d,up store and resume his verse writ mo He and Mrs. Webster began in tse7 to work on a Sunday school song book called The Signet Ring, , which was afterward published. This period of his life is the most rpcjous of all his experiences to Dr. Benuett. Not long ago ho told the whole sory to an interested group of listeners, his eyes filling with tears as he vindi- ated his friend from calumnies: "Curency has been given to the shameful story that MT. Webster was drupk when he wrote the music, and 1 mother account has 1t that we were both drupk. am thankful to do justice to ouo of the noblest men that ever lived n fine, sensitive soul, with the true artistic feeling Again, it has been said 1 that we were both infidels, and the song he ribald jest of earouse. As to my aligion, that is my own affair, but the hope and longing of every immortal soul a expressed in that song were the faith of both of us. To both creation would have seemed farce if infinite love and immortality had not evershadowed us and promised life of bliss beyond the ] grave.
 "Mr Webster, like many musicians. was of an exceedingly nervous and sen sitive nature, and subject to fits of de- pression. knew his peeuliarities well, and when found him given up to blue devils, just gave him cheerful song to work on. One morning he came into ' the store and walked to the stove with Out speaking
 Whats up now, Webster?' I asked.
 It's no matter. It will be all right ty and by
 The idea of the hymn came to me hke q flash of suGshine-'The Sweet By and By. Everything will be all right thea Why wouldn't that make good hymng
 Maybe it would, he replied gloom iy Turning to the desk, I wrote as apldly as 1 could. In less than half an hour, think, the song as it stands to- day was written. Here it is:
 There's a land that is fairer than day.
 And ey faith We can see it af&r,
 TOT the Father waits over the way
 TO prepare us q dwelling place there.
 CHORUS.
 In the sweet by and by
 Me shall meet on that beautiful shore
 Tn the sweet by and by
 We shall meet on that beautiful shore
 Ne shall sing on that beautiful shore
 The melodious songs of the blest,
 ana our spirits shall sorrow no more
 Not sigh for the blessing of rest
 10 our bcuntiful Father above Me will offer the tribute of praise sor the glorious gift of his love And the blessings that hallow our days.
 In the meantime two friends, N. H. talsweil and s. E. Bright, had conc " handed the verses to MT. Webster. anItie tremulous with emotion. As he .ao It his eyes kindled. Stepping to " desk, he began to jot down the .O'es' lie picked up his violin and llsa them h ten minutes we four surielnen were singing that song. MT.
 ~ Crosby came in. and with tears ms eyes said, Gentlemen, that hymn
 immortal We were all excited, s'So' Within two weeks the children heets, s,.ll n 1868 The signet Ring was pub I,usu' ss me published distributing circu- @s 10 advertise it and on the sheets s's sa M The Sweet By and By. On the @v"g'h sn; of that one song nearly 25o, GOO s Sp'es Of the book were sold. The song s,s ~ allerward brought out in sheet mu- )Dn, It has been translated into saOer @st of foreign languages.
 E. ."eoster, Crosby and Carswell are T
 '' ,. E. Bright of Fort Atkinson, s.' and myself are the only living smse, assses to the origin of the song. ''--
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