The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-09-23
Blind Composer
OF 5, 600 Bgn1ns.

p obabiT lew people who have sung
any ii che many hymns written by Fanny
trosby have given the slightest or no
thought 10 the personality of the author;
nevertheless, her hymns are, perhai 20.
more widely known than those OF any
/ other living writer, and her own life
shows how much may be accomplished by
one deprived of the gift of sight. For
Fanny Crosby Van Alstyne has been
blind ever since infancy, yet she never
murmured at her misfortune, bot has
! given, instead. a matchless example Of
the power OF joyful song
She was born in southeast New YORK
March p, 1870. When six weeks of age
! she became blind. The application of
hot pouItices to here eyes during an H.
ness destroyed the optic nerve. At fifteen
! years of age she entered the institution
! for the blind in New York city where she
was educated.
/ In 1917 Miss Crosby became a teacher
in this school, and continued her work
/ there for eleven Years, teaching English
! grammar, rhetoric, and Greek and R,a.lan
! and American history While she was
| teaching she wrote the words to many
/ songs FOR George F. Root Among them
were "Rosalie, the Prairie Flower"
There's Music in the Air" Hazel Dell"
"fIoneysucllle Glen, 'Good-by, Proud
I World, I'm Going Home'-all popular in
their day She likewise wrote the words
I for the cantantas Of The Flower Queen
( anu The Pilgrim Fathers Her first
| Sunday school hymn was written for VIM.
B. Bradbury.
As early as 1914 she published volume
! Of verse entitled THE Blind Girl and
I Other Poems" A second volume, Mon
! 1ol 4r,,II< 4,--,
/ years later, and in 1858 "A Wreath of Co
! lumbia's Flowers appeared. These pub
! LEGATIONS, though of much merit. did. .net
bring her fame 1t is as writer OF
! gospel hymns that she is known the world
over.
She has supported herself by writing.
/ hymns for the lasJ thirty years or moro.
/ She has written. over three thousand
/ hymns for Philip Phillips. S J. Vail Rev.
! Samuel Altman, II. p. Danks W n
! Doane, II. p. Main, J. r. Sweeney. w. J.
/ Kirkpatrick, Ira d. Sankey and others.
/ When Miss Crosby composes her hymns
| she sits alone with d little hymn book
pressed 10 her brow. and allows her
! thoughts fun play. She never writes hec
! hymns out, but composes the stanzas ore
/ by one until the whole hymn is COM
4 pleted: then she dictates it to an ana i
/ tqelpsis. Her memory is rertark9ble AS
| a. instance Of this she states that PlfiIp
i IilIilIpS udQ once asked Fer TO write the
/ words of forty hymns the titles eff which
| he read to her These titles she Retained
I in her merar'-. an1 sore by one-4sI 9 corr
| posed the hymns When the fo ty wer
! inished she dictated them, titles and a
! 10 an amanuonsis
Safe in the Arms Of Jesus" is her
/ faVorte hymn 1t was written in tifte9
minutes. One GAY w. II. Doane called upon
| her and said: Il have forty minutes in
| which to catch NY train. and ! want 10
! rake with me the words to this music
! And he hummed the melody can Won
| GO lt?,' he asked Miss Crosby renlied;
| Al right; | Will do it" In q 1uarter
! OF an hour the hymn, Safe in the Arms
! of Jesus was completed. at was m -
| spiralion." she explains
| 1t is difficult to choose for sreciaI ,,7en.
| uon a few out OF tie large nun,ha1. Of
hNlnhS that she has wlitten but here i
nst OF some OF the best known and most
| popular: Safe in the Arms of .Tesis =
Pass Me Not, o Gentle Savior, Rescue
t !.,0 FefiSh1nS i Am Thine, LorJ,
TO the Work. There's a CRY From
Macedonia" Jesus Dear Come to
Thee, Light ana Comfort Of NV So,
Ihere's a Gentle Voice Within" .orte
Bright Forever "Ciose to Thee '.T.,r7
at Thy Mercy Seat : ITO God be The
Glory Like the Sound Of MANY
Waters, - Keep Thou Ny WAY. O 1-orfi ;,
so Near to the Kingdom. 20 Como
to the Savior. Believe in His Name"
Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross. "a
My Savior. Hear Me, ''Tkro' the New,
Jetusa lem" Jesus the Water of ! ife
VIII Give. Savior, More Than Lie 70
There is no happier woman in an the
word than this blind singer Her husband
died many years ago, and his death was
the keenest- of her sorrows. Her songs
are all written under her maiden ,,a,,5o
Her life may be said to be one lcno