Daily camera., 1901-11-19
HISTORY OF A HYMN.
"Nsarer, Ny God, to Thee" Presi-
deat xeKinlsy's Favorits.
Imagery That EAbrases the Assoei.
atSSas ef Oas Of the Most s1b-
llDs Religious Experiences
of MsbeeW Scripture.

ef Msbssw Scripture.
The hymn, "Nearer, Ny God. TO
Thee" the words OF which President
Mckinley repeated just before his
death, has an interesting history
writes . contributor to the Philadel-
phia North American.
Perhaps no hymn since the publica'
tion Of Perronet's "All Hail the Power
Of Jesus Name" In l7ss. has received
so wide and deserving . popularity
It hnds q place In all collections OF
hymns In the English tongue, and il
. favorite alike in Trinitarian and
Unitarian churchea 1t has been
translated into many languages. and
has followed the triumphs OF the Cos
pei In heather lands.
1t 10 the best metrical expression OF
| the desire for . more intimate spirit
ual Acquaintance with God, and the
riches Of His grace. that We have In
modern psslmody. 1t 10 . fresh and
touching expression of the same yearn-
ing aspirations toward God that We
| prise in Cowper's "Oh. for . Closer
Walk With God" which II succeeded
in popular favor. 1t expresses = will
insness 10 know God through the dis.
cipline Of ahiiction.
Its imagery embraces the associa-
tions Of one Of the most sublime in
| teresting religious experienced record
ed in the early Hebrew scriptures,
! Jacobs vision at Luz. And he lighted
upon > certsin place" says the Scrip
turs Of jacobs wsnderings, "and tar
ried there ell night. because the sun
was set; and he took Of the stones Of
that pace and put them for his pillows,
sud lay down in that place to sleep.
| And he dreamed. and behold . ladder
set up on the earth. and the top OF i,
reached TO heaven: and behold the an.
gels Of God ascending and descending
oa Il. :. "And Jacob rose up early
| In the morning and took the stone
that he had put for his pillows and set
II for . pillar aud poured oil upon the
top Of Il. And he Called the name OF
that place Bethel" this event being
brouph, 70 mind in the figures in the
fourth s,snzs:
Then with my waxing thoughts.
Bright with Thy praise.
ou, OF my stony grief. -.
Bethel I'll raise:
30 by my wo<s TO be
Nearer. ny God, 10 Thee.
Nearer TO Thee"
Mrs. Sarah Flower Adams, author
Of the hymn. wss . daughter Of Ben
ismin Flower. an English writer and
editor. She was born In 1905. Her
mother, . woman Of culture. died early
/. nfe. There were two daughters.
sarah and Eliza. The strongest at.
tachment existed between them 10th
possessed the dne feelings o their
mother. and were fond Of books,
music, poetry and art. Their aesthetic
tastes ruled even In childhood, and
eirIhood 10 them was . glowing sea
son OF aspiration and expectancy.
Eliza turned her attention to music
spd musical composition. and her
sister to religious poetry. They were
Unitarian in their church relations,
but their pie,y was gaused BY de-
votional feeling and high religious at
tainmen nts, rather than by dsnomina-
tional lrequireme nts or seetsrian views.
Eliza Flower" says . critic. "at'
fh-ed q higher rank in musical COM
posi,Io,, than before her time had been
reached by any Of her sex" Sarah
Flower made the competition OF poe
try her occupatios. while her sister
pursued her musical stadteS. In 1884
she married william Bridges Adams,
an eminent engineer and . contributor
To the best periodical literature. In
ls4l she published . dssmstic poem IN
Ave acts, entitled "yivia Perpetua."
REGARDING "vivia Psrpstus" as the
fruit Of their Joint ASPIRATIONS and
studies, .he dedicstes It 10 her sister
in lines in which occur the following
tender sentiment:
I'm thy content I win . wrath more
bright
Thaa sarth's vide sardsa ever could sup
ply:
Al, ~! think ne stu how poor strain.
And fiy for refuge to Thy love again"
Her sisters health beginning to de-
cline, and evidences Of pulmonary con-
sumption appearing, Mrs. Adams de-
voted herself to the invalid's room
with unceasing watehfulness and self
forgetful care. Eliza Flower died In
ls47. Mrs. Adams never recovered
from the shock Of the separation. Her
religious ASPIRATIONS, always strong,
seemed now to receive heavenly i'm
pulse. Her health gradually declined.
and In 1s4o, two years after her sisters
death, she too peacefully fell asleep.
In her hymn she gives expression TO
the following expectation' f.
''Or. II on Joyful wing.
ClsAving the sky.
0un. moon and stasp forgot.
Upward ~.
0tilI, all my song shall b.
Nearer, my God. to Thee.
Nearer to Thee"
This hope seems to have been almost
literally fulfilled in her death. We are
told that almost her last breath burst
Into unconscious song"
A Brake fer DOoAo.
Count Posse Of Sweden has invented
IN apparatus for stopping the head
way Of boats. which. he thinks. will be
useful in preventing collsaons be.
tween vessels of all kinds. The ap.
Iparatus, which has recently been test
ed on . large steam launch, cCnsists
|of steel plate shutters applied on both
|sIdes Of the vessel about ore-quarter
lot IT. length from the stern. These
can be opened and shut BY the helms
IMAM. with the aid Of . lever. When
|the launch was going At fuli speed.
|nins knots an hour. It was stopped In
lNE aecnnda wifhin ha11 ifa len3th. hY