The Washington herald., 1909-10-31

Webster awakened a keen sense Of
pity in the publisher. for he acted
as If he had lost all hope. and II
was this feeling which no doubt
moved Mr.. Healy. after listening 70
the song on the piano 20 offer him
500 for II. This Webster accepted.
and seemed thankful Little inter
est was shown toward the song
webster's popularity had waned
greatly and had been overshadowed
by the enormous success Of George
F Roots war songs. Thus the COM
poser Of Little Maud" and "Torena"
was no longer sought and little at
tention given him. After Webster
had gone Mr.. Healy turned the mar
uscript Of the song over 70 one OF
HIS employees. who played II ana
hummed II with perfect indifference.
not to say contempt.
Mr.. Healy said with a sigh. "Oh.
yes, Wen have to get It out and
then added. Poor feIlaw, I didn't
have the heart 10 send him away
without taking It,"
So the song was printed with the
least expense possible, and the
cheapest little page that could be
made. 1t was placed upon the coun-
ter, and there 1t was permitted to
lie friendless. feeling its poverty and
insignifcance in comparison with
the gorgeous Autograph title pages
end elegantly colored lettering OF
the other sheet music by which II was
surrounded. Finally, without the
sale OF a dozen copies. it was con-
signed TO the wholesale shelves.
where Mr.. Hesly mentally erected a
tombstone inscribed Sacred 70 the
memory Of a poor musician"
About a year passed, when a Mr..
Whittemore. a music teacher IN the
public schools Of Chicago. came In
and aked Mr.. Healy II he would let
him use THE Sweet BY and Bye"
in . Sunday school book which he
was then compiling. The reply was:
Certainly. without doubt, for the
song Is OF no use 10 US. It has no
sale whatever"
Nothing more was thought Of the
matter until nearly a year after
ward. when the publishers began 20
have calls for The Sweet Bye and
Bye" I remember my surprise"
said an employee. the first time It
was asked for. a little schoolgirl,
not more than twelve or fifteen
years old, came in very timidly, evil
IDENTIFY unused TO trading by her
self. and. standing or from the
counter. as II afraid TO come near
er. said.
"Have you a piece Of music called
The Sweet Bye and Bye?" It's IN
Mr.. Whittemore's book.
1t is thus fair to state that 10 Mr..
Healy's tender nature and TO Mr..
WhIttemore's recognition OF the mer-
its of the song the world owes its
knowledge Of Webster's inspiration
Mr.. HeaIy's utter failure to see any
thing IN it is only another instance
Of how human judgment errs.
The last time I saw Webster"
says this same employee, was IN
Milwaukee. in the summer Of 1877.
at Hempstead's music store. He
was then an invalid. the almost con
tinual coughing betraying the seri-
Gus nature OF his disease. He asked
me TO play for him. as I had done
when "A boy. variations on his beau
tiful song Lorena, written by
Louis Staab. This 7 did. TO his in
tense delight Then I gave him an
Improvisation on The Sweet Bye
and Bye which 1 had played re-
Gently in concerts. At the coucIu-
sion. when turned about on the
piano stool. ! found Webster crying:
yet there was a smile upon his lips
as he exclaimed:
You have made me the hap
piest man in the world. I feel 7
have not lived In vain
Webster was one of natures no
blemen. tender-hearted. true. sim
ple-minded, and honest. Music was
TO him the ready medium Of pour
ing out his louSings. his sorrows.
and aspirations. and who shall say
that the offerings OF this great soul
expressed in such an artless manner
are not just as acceptable upon tho
altar of his God as those more eIab-
crate works where art embeilishes
and frequently smOthers Inspiration.
J the Press Company