The Washington herald., 1914-04-10
COMPOSED TUNE TO
FIT STRAY POEM
Interesting Story Told to Writer By
Great Singer Who Moved
Millions.

No devotional song has had so wide
currency In 30 brief a space OF years
as THE Ninety and Nine" first sung by
the late Ira d. Sankey In Edinburgh
| about 1873. Mr.. Sankey was fond of
telling the story of his discovery Of the
poem and its great success when put
to music.
II was on a train with my chief in
revival work. Mr.. d. L. Moody" said he
one day to the writer OF this article.
bound for Edinburgh. Glancing over a
paper my eye caught some verses print
| ed In an obscure corner, beginning:
There were ninety and nine. that safely
lay. In the shadow Of the fold
Reading on. was impressed with the
beauty of the lines, and exclaimed to
Mr.. Moody: I have found the hymn 1
have been wanting for years He seemed
Indifferent. and when l read the verses
to him l saw he was not listening. but
was wholly intent on his own thoughts
said nothing. but clipped out the
verses and put them in my pocket.
"A few days later We were addressing z
monster meetings in Edinburgh. After
noble address on The Shepherd Mr.
Moody leaned down from his rostrum
and said TO me. Mr.. Sankey. have yor
something special 10 sing?
Il was nonplussed at f1rst, thinking Of
nothing fitting TO the theme except the
Twenty-third Psalm. which the same
| audience had already sung three times.
While hesitated, the people sat silent
Suddenly ! bethought me Of the clip
ping. and taking II from my pocket,
placed II on the rack OF my small organ
and struck a full chord. | had no music,
had not even made an effort 10 compose
a tune to fit IL, but after that first chord
the whole air rolled from my lips as
| though l rehearsed 1t many time. When
l began to sing the second verse ] was
in agony lest ] should not remember the
air | had eXtsmporizcd. and should sing
something different. But all went well
ard when I closed with the glad shout Of
the last line. Rejoice! for the Lord
, brings back his own. Mr.. Moody looked
down at me again and said:
Mr.. Sankey. where did you get that
song? | never heard anything like it,
Its the one you wouldn't listen tC
In the train. told him
Mr. Sankey said that in the gallery OF
the great hail was a woman who recog-
nized the words as those of a poem writ
ten by her dead sister. The verses had
been printed anonymously. and only by
this accidental recognition did Mr.. San
key learn the name OF their author.
In Songs that Never Grow Old the
volume which The Herald is now Offering
to its readers. are the words and music
Of Ninety and Nine as well as all old
favorites which touch the depths OF senu-
ment and elevate the human soul 10 the
heights Of devotional aspiration. songs of
the sort that bind the world in the broth
erhOOd of man
The Herald Song Book on sale at the
following places: +. g. Smith Piano
Company. l217 F street northwest; House
4 Hermann. Seventh and streets:
Charles VI. Stieff pianos, l00s-lOlO + street
northwest: Adams News Depot. Ninth
and G streets northwest: Roland Wal
lace. 92S Ninth street northwest: Adams
Depot. Mount Pleasant branch, 27+0 Four
teenth street northwest; W. b. Holtz-
claw. 1905 Pennsylvania avenue north
west and +. J. Erwin Fourteenth and
Harvard streets northwest.