The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-03-07
QUEENS FAvoRIrE HYMNS.
some That Have Comforted the Sow
ereign of Great Britain
In Sorrow.

For many years after the queen
had made her Highland home at Bal
moral with her family she would not
have any hymns sung either at Crathie
church or at the private services in
the castle, but was content with the
quaint versions of the Psalms in gen.
eral use among the Presbyterians of
the old school. Now the Scottish
Hymnal" is used at both, and the
hymns selected for the castle services
are generally chosen by Princess Be-
atrice or the ladies in personal attend
ance on the sovereign. The queen is
very fond of Nearer, My God, to
Thee and SO are the prince and prin-
cess of Wales. Another great favorite
with the prince is the J"Soldier's
Hymn" written by Rev. Arthur Rob
ins. Of Holy Trinity church, Windsor,
and Set to Rossini's music. Never does
his royal highness attend that church
without this hymn being sung, in which
he joins heartily.
Charles Wesley's Jesus, Lover of My
Soul" and old John Newton's "How
Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds" have
always been enjoyed and appreciated
by the queen, but for the last 80 years
her choice has fallen most frequently
on hymns relating to the future state,
and breathing the spirit of resigna-
ton. 1t is impossible to follow them
from year TO year without feeling that
the attitude of her majesty's mind is
Though He stay me, yet will / trust
in Him" For some years after the
death of the prince consort no hymns
were sung at the annual memorial
services, and then Princess Alice of
Hesse died on the anniversary of her
beloved fathers death, and on the day
of her funeral the queen chose both
anthem and hymn for the service in
the private chapel in Windsor castle.
The former was "The Souls of the
Righteous Are in the Hand of God"
the music by DR.. Elvey, and the lat
ter Thy Will Be Done" This ex-
quisite hymn, by Miss Charlotte FL
lott, so universally known by the four
words that form its refrain, taken
from our Saviour's prayer in the Gar
den of Gethsemane, has for it's first
line my God, Ny Father, while stray"
and is probably sung by all Christian
churches, throughout the world. This
hymn was again chosen by her mai
esty for the memorial services in 1879.
which commemorated both father and
daughter, and those who are about
the court have observed that ever
since that date It has been one of her
special favorites. A beautiful and
interesting old hymn, written by Mic
olaf in 1898, beginning wake, for the
night is flying" was also sung by the
queens desire that year.
The death of her majesty's young
est son, the duke of Albany, was a
very great grief to her, though she
rose out of ii in her endeavors to COM
fort his young widow. Judging from
her letter to Lord Tennyson, it
was a trial in which she found
it hard to see why "a young life,
so full of talent, so gifted. and so
useful" should have been "cut off so
soon," and perhaps this feeling die
tated her choice of Newmans LEAD,
Kindly Light" which was sung over
his grave, and her strong faith, reas-
serting itself, was expressed in the ma
jestic
o God. our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
that followed it. A bereavement that
fell very heavily on the queen, not only
on account of her maternal sympathy
with Princess Beatrice-"the daughter
who has never left me"-but because
she was personally sincerely attached
to him, was the death of Prince Henry
of Battenberg, who was so dutifully
and pleasant to her
during the few years he was one of
her home circle. The hymn she Sc
lected for the earlier part of the cere-
mony when he was laid to rest in
Whippingham church was Dean Mil
mans Brother, Thou Art Gone Be-
fore Us" and pathetic, too, are the
verses which were sung Immediately
after the benediction. Their author
ship is unknown, but the widowed
princess chose them from a volume
of hymns that is one of her private
treasures:
Sleep thy last sleep,
Free from care and sorrow,
Rest where none weep