Evening journal., 1910-11-02
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Chance Remark That
Led to a Famous Hymn
BY "HOIIand."
BY "HOlland."

The Rev. DR.. Benjamin Adams for
many years a clergyman I'm the
Methodist Episcopal Church. was in
early life warm friend of the Warner
sisters, Susan and Anna, who gained
vide reputation as writer's of fiction
about the middle of the nineteenth
century, Susan Warner i'm fact, bein4
the author of one OF the most sue
cessful novels ever published m
America, "The Wide, Wide, World" >"
! Next TO Uncle Toms Cabin" it is,
| perhaps, the most widely circulated
story Of American authorship" as one
authority put IT,
81 have many tender recollections
OF the sisters" said DR.. Adams to mo,
/ but ! think the most vivid Of them
all centcrs about hymn that one Of
the sisters wrote. | have told the
anecdote occasionally to my parish
toner's, but believe that the story has
never found its way into print.
IN my early days. as Methodist
minister. | was a circuit rider my
circuit covering much of the noun
famous region stretching back into
New York state from West Point and
Newburgh. The Warner sisters lived
upon an island in the Hudson river
iHoN VA N'HN iUiiAs whenever IL WHS
possible i'm my circuit riding, I reach
ed the home OF the sisters on Sunday
evening. They were women of beau
tiful character, gentle, sympathetic.
kindly, and had gained the confidence
of the West Point cadets, many of
whom used TO attend a Bible class
which Anna Warner taught.
Il remember that the day on which
the incident happened was a dread
fully wet, cold SUNDAY, with occa-
sional sleet. so that my circuit riding
was very wearisOme. I think / rode
about forty miles that day; I certain
ly preached FIVE or six times And IL
touched my heart to see those rude
| poverty stricken mountaineers, who
assembled to hear me, paying me de-
Nout attention and appearing not to
heed the cold, so that at last | said to
myself: As long as people. even two
or three, will come over the wet and
rocky roads TO hear me. / shall not
complain OF cold nor fatigue
But | was very tired when night
came and l reached the Warner sis,
ters' home. There was a bright light
in the room as ] entered and the place
looked CHEEKY and comfortable; but
It was not half so comfortable as was
the warm greeting of the sisters. They
insisted that I be careful not to sit
in wet clothing, that | so to my room
and put on dry garments, and then
come down and have a cup of tea and
some bread and butter-a Sunday
night supper-with them.
when ! re-entered the living room
q little later and threw myself in an
easy chair. Anna Warner said TO me
/ tlr dame
81 am tired l replied; almost ex-
hausted. And yet I ought not to com
plain. and do not complain, for ID
has been one more days work for
Jesus
"A few minutes later I was refresh
ed with a cup of warm tea and food
and then, after\ little conversation
/ retired for the night.
I'm the morning, as / came to
breakfast, Anna Warner passed me a
sheet of paper.
DR.. Adams. she said, YOU said
last night that you were happy be-
cause your work yesterday was one
more days work for Jesus. AS
thought over what you said. there
came 10 me, suddenly, an inspiration
which you will find on this sheet ol
paper. I wrote it I'm a few minutes
81 looked at the sheet and found
that what she had written was tn,
hymn beginning:
One more days work for Jesus
One less of life for me-
Il do not need to tell you any more
the hymn is sung wherever Christians
praise God and voice their love TO
Jesus"
Copyright. 1910. by Z. J. Edwards
All rights reserved)