The Washington herald., 1907-06-16
SUNDAY MORNING CHAT.

length Dr.. Fawcett said. we viii not
60, " and the things were unpacked. 10 the
great Joy and gratitude Of his people He
al once sent a letter 10 London explain
ing the case. and then returned % his
work on 2 salary Of less than S9ll year.
The hymn was written TO commemorate
the event.
A number Of Alfred Teunys0n's poems
are popular as church hymns. Crossing
the Bar" perhaps. is held in greater IA
vor than any other Indeed. it was taken
a place In the hearts Of the people along
with the older and more familiar songs Of
the church. 1t is interesting 70 know. I'm
this connection. that on one occasion,
when asked 10 write a hymn, Tennyson
replied.
a good hymn IS the most difficult
thing in the world 70 write In a good
hymn you have 20 be commonplace and
pOetiCal"
do not think. however that any. ons
would call Crossing the Bar" common
place. though IL is not at all % be sup
posed that TenHyson considered Il a
hymn when he wrote Il.
In the Memoirs OF Tennyson. by his
SON the history Of Crossing the Bar IS
beautifully told. Tennyson was IN his
eighty-first year. Il was an October
day, and DE had the moaning Of the bar
on his mind In the evening he showed
the poem written out. and when told IL
was the crown Of his lfes work. he re-
saNf .
planned the Pilot as that Divine and
Unseen who is always guiding us" A
few days before his death Tennysoa said
90 his son.
Mind you. put Crossing the Bar at
the end Of all editions of my poems"
An old friend Of President and Mrs.
Mckinley, who was intimate in their
home for years, In recalling happy times
spent with them told me Of the custom
Mr.. Mckinley had, away back IN the
old Ohio days. Of inviting a few special
friends 70 his home every Sunday even
ing TO sing hymns. Occasionally they
would. az Mr. NcEinlay's suggestion. al.
60 over TO Mother McKlnleys, as his
mother was aGecti7uately known. and
have their evening songs with her one
Of the old home habits that the McKin-
leys kept up and allowed nothing 10 in
terfere with was this evening Of sacred
song. Even after Nj Mckinley became
President he still looked after his little
Sunday evening gathering with as much
interest as ever. calling fl the White
House choir
A delightful circumstance connected
with these Sunday evenings in Washing
ton was the presence of some who had
been of the old, familiar circle in years
gone by Mrs Heistand. wife OF Col
Henry o. S. Heistand, who usually
played the accompaniment at the White
House. had been their pianist In the
Ohio home. Mrs Mckinley played an
occasional accompaniment. and both she
and the President Joined heartily in the
singing. Not till the death Of the Presi-
dent was this beautiful evening service
stopped. Two favorite hymns Of Presl-
dent Mckinley, as is generally known.
were Lead, Kindly Light and Nearer.
Ny God 10 Thee, which were sung at
his funeral and the other day al the
funeral of Mrs. Mckinley. NY friend.
whose presence at many of these even
ings of song gave her the opportunity 10
become familiar with his preferences.
tells me that neither Of these was the
one he liked best. but that through all
the years. every Sunday evening at their
home meetings. he asked them to SIM
There's a Wilderness in Gods Mercy"
saying it was the one song they must
never fail 10 sing. rs Il was his favorite
amonE hymns
ELIZABETH FRENCH.