Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-08-28


the author of lin the Sweet BY and
By" He is a practicing physician and
is under 60 years of age. The immortal
hymn was written when he was only 81
and is the single song Of his life.
During the civil war a wave Of moral
elevation and intellectual activity pass
ed over the country. In this grand
awakening Of the conscience there was a
flood of music-mnrtial, religious, do
nestle George +. Root and Stephen j.
Foster were both writing songs that
lived. and Sunday school hymns passed
out of the driveling period into one OF
elevated simplicity.
Just at this time Samuel Fillmore
Bennett was graduated from Ann Ar
Dor, Mich. and began newspaper ca
teer at Elkhorn, Wis. on The Independ-
emit. J. p. Webster, the musical COM
poser, was living in the same town, and
it was only few months before the
editor and the musician were collaborat-
ing. The war interveDed, and Lieuten-
ant Bennett of the Fortieth Wisconsin
volunteers returned to Elkhorn to open
q drug store and resume his verse writ
ing. He and Mrs. Webster began in
1867 to work on a Sunday school song
book, called THE Signet Ring" which
was afterward published.
This period of his life is the most
precious of all his experiences to DIR.
Bennett. Not long ago he told the whole
story to an interested group Of listeners.
his eyes filling with tears as he vindi-
Gated his friend from calumnies:
Currency has been given to the
shameful story that Mr.. Webster was
drunk when he wrote the music, and
another account has it that We were both
drunk. l am thankful to do justice to
one Of the noblest men that ever lived
"a fine, sensitive soul, with the true
artistic feeling Again, it has been said
that we were both infidels, and the song
the ribald jest Of carouse. AS to my
religion, that is my own affair, but the
hope and longing of every immortal soul
as 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 overshadowed 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-
preston knew his peculiarities we'll.
and when found him given up to blue
devils, just gave him a cheerful song
to work on. One morning he came into
the store and walked TO the stove with
out speaking
whats up now, Webster asked.
'-Nt's no matter. 1t will be all right
by and by.
THE idea Of the hymn came to mo
like fash of sunshine-'The Sweet BY
and By. Everything will be all right
then. Why wouldn't that make good
hymn
Maybe it would, he replied gloom
| lily. Turning to the desk, wrote as
rapidly as could. In less than half an
hour, think, the song as it stands to-
day was written. Here it is:
"Theres land that is IA: 'er than day.
And by faith we can sec afar,
For the Father waits over the way
To prepare Us IA dwelling place there
CHORUS.
"In the sweet by aud by
We shall meet on shat beautiful shore
In the sweet by and cy
We shall meet on that beautiful shore
"we shall sing oH that beautiful shors
The mol e. -Ongs t..a lest,
And our sDi. shall '-' - moro
b., %, go. the .,.s..l. T.. r>st.
''To orr .-U-ulF h-r;'ovc
! We W. o. the u D.. 81 &. pr ise
For g.. glorirus gift z Is we
And the licssinEs iLat Eai.ow our days,
In the meantime two friends, ~ n
Carswell ard = y. Blight, had come
| in. / handed the verses 10 Mr.. Webster,
a little tremulous with emotion. AS he
read it his eyes kindled. Stepping to
the desk, he began to jot down the
notes. He picked up his violin and
tried them. In ten minutes we four
gentlemen were singing that song. Mr..
r. r. Crosby came in, and with tears
In his eyes said, Gentlemen, that hymn
is immortal We were all excited,
elated. Within two weeks the children
Of the town were singing it on the
streets
In 1868 The Signet Ring was pub
lished, the published distributing circu-
lars to advertise il and on the sheets
was The Sweet BY and By. On the
strength of that one song nearly ESQ, 900
copies Of the book were sold. The song
was afterward brought out in sheet mu-
sic, and it has been translated into a
number Of foreign languages.
Webster, Crosby and Carswell are all
dead. S. +. Bright of Fort Atkinson,
Wis, and myself are the only living
witnesses to the origin of the song. -
louisville Post
Dumas' Prediction.
The last time Sarah Bernhardt saw
Alexandra Dumas she congratulated
him on the fact that the thousandth per.
Torrance of La Dame aux Camelias"
was soon to be given with proper cere-
monies.
"Ah, madam" said the dramatist,
II am very willing that the event