The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-04-17
MoopY's FAvoRITE HYMN.
How sankey Found the Words and Com
posed Music for "Ninety and Nine."

1
II will be noticed during the fight that
| Evangelist Dwight l.. Moody inaugural.
ed in Chicago last week against sin that
the famous hymn, NINETY and Nine"
was sung more often than any other says
the Chicago Tribune Herald. 1t is Moody
favorite hymn.
There ia an interesting little story con-
nected with the origin of this sacred
song, known and sung the world over.
To begin with, Mr.. Sankey, the singer
and writer of religious music, who was
with M Moody for years wrote the
hymn years ago. 10 be exact, in 1878, a
few months subsequent to the first revival
they conducted in England.
For three months they had besn labor
ing in Scotland and were just leaving
Glasgow for Edinburgh when an incident
occurred which gave birth to this famous
hymn. While the two evangelists were
waiting for their train Mt Glasgow Mr.
Sankey bought copy Of the Christian
Age and Light o penny religious paper.
While MIR. Moody was busy in his cor
ner Of the railway carriage with CORES
pondence, Mr.. Sankey looked over the
paper. AS he casually glanced over the
columns some insignificant verses struck
down in remote corner of the paper
caught his eyes There was mo name
signed to them. The first two lines
impressed him greatly.
Thers 'wera ninety and nine that safely
lay go s
In the shelter of the fold.
Mr.. Sankey continued to read the lines
that followed with keen admiration,
while the Edinburgh express rushed
along at great speed.
-"Hurrahl" shouted the great singer.
as he brought his hands down with some
force on his knees in characteristic en-
thusiasm: "I've besn looking for years. !"
Eyes" abssntly grunted Mr.. Moody.
What is itf''
''It's about sheep. Ns, sheep that
was lost ON the mountain and carried by
the shepherd
"H'm, him." arnnted Mr.. Moody,
little hesding the enthusiasm and joy of
his companion; Tread it,
He did read 1t, and put all the pathos
he could command to express the beauty
Of the sentiment in the verss, but when
he looked up he saw that Mr.. Moody had
not heard a wori having been engrossed
in his letters.
Several days later they held great re-
viyal meeting at the Free Assembly Hall
in Edinburgh. MIR. Moody spoke fervent-
ly on the Good Shepherd. DIR. Horatius
Bonner, the author of II Heard the
Voice Of Jesus Say, Come Unto Me and
Rest, =" delivered a fine address, When
he finished there came over the vast
meeting that stiffness and solemnity
which indicates deep spiritual feeling.
Bending down ovor the pulpit toward
Mr. Sanksy, who sat at the right by q
little melodeun, Mr.. Moody said: "Have
you anything to sing on this subject az a
foloP'' @.s Y ststasA.-sz
MIR. Sankey hesitatsd, for he could
think of nothing on the subject. except
the Twenty Psalm, which had
already been sung several times that day
by the congregation. Like a flash it
came to him, "Sing the hymn you found
on the train.'' But how could he sing
a song without tune. Meanwhile the
audienca waa waiting In expectancy. Mr..
Sankey opened lis scrap book of solos,
found the verse, placed it on the rack of
the melodeon before him. and then, after
moment of silent duplication, struck
chord and began to sing as if inspired,
improyising a tune for the words. Un-
mindful of the chords, the evangelist con-
centrated his mind on the poor sheep
lost on the bleak inountainside and the
good shepherd who searched for it
through the night and carried it home to
the fold. What he sang was the joy that
swelled his soul. He did not himself
know how he finished the first stanza.
He then paused, struck prelude, and
began the second stanza with some
treptdation lest he should forget the
tune improvised for the first. The vast
assembly he felt was with him, for the
solemn silence told him So He finished
the second and the third and the fourth.
While the sweet straips were yet linger-
ing in the hall Mr.. Moody stepped down
from the pulpit, and, resting his hand
in that of the singer, looked with wonder
at the newspaper clipping, and with
emotion asked Ny dear friend, where
did you get that songs 1 never heard
anything like it,
"That,'' said MIR. Sankey, sis the
hymn / read you on the train-the one
you didn't hear
And SO the tune of "The Ninety and
Nine" was born into the world-a tune
which has gone literally around the
world just as it was sung that day under
inspiration by Mr.. Sankey. And it has
thrilled millions.
The hymn was not published until
their return TO America. 1t was called
by Mr.. Sankey "The Lost Sheep bur
Mr.. Moody always referred to and called
it "The Ninety and Nine" and it ha
retained that name. The author of the