Semi-weekly herald., 1915-03-08
FANNY CROSBY.

EhAN.Ni SiNctopl.
Thine eyes shall see the king in
his beauty"
The life of Fanny Crosby is SER
mon in itself. 1t might be more to
the point to say that it contains the
material for a myriad of sermons.
For ninety-fve years she inhabited
her tabernacle of clay" with all the
windows darkened, for she became to-
tally blind at the age of six months.
In other words, from the first hours
of conscious childhood she never
knew what it was to see the glory
of the sun, moon or stars, to witness
the advent of spring, to watch the un-
folding of the wayside rose or to be-
hold the rainbow against the storm.
And yet Fanny Crosby seemed 90
dwell in realm of unfading light.
When very young girl the nature
of her affliction readily dawned upon
her mind and she determined that
she would never permit it to darken
her spirit even if it did darken the
visible world.
AT an early day she learned of
Him who had promised to be as eyes
to the blind and whose unerring hand
could lead through the darkest shad-
ows; and in spirit of simple faith
and trust she lifted those sightless
orbs to her chosen Master and said:
What can | do?"
And the answer came.
1t is estimated that in her lifetime
Fanny Crosby composed at least five
thousand hymns. Nature mestowed
upon her the lyrical gift and the in
creasing richness of consecrated
Christian life found expression in
poetic lines, which, set to music, We're
destined to touch the heart of the
world.
Win the church of God ever cease
to sing Pass Me Not, o Gentle Sa-
viour," Blessed Assurance" Res
cue the Perishing," "and "Safe In
the Arms of Jesus?" Certainly not
this side of heaven, and we have an
idea that the most of these songs
especially the songs of triumph-will
be sung upon the other side.
The readiness with which Fanny
Crosby could compose is illustrated
in the story of the origin of the above
last mentioned song, William H.
Doane played on the piano the music
for which he desired appropriate
words and asked her to provide them
for him as speedily as possible in or
der that he might hurry away to take
a train. 1t is said that she imme-
diately complied with the request, die
tating rapidly the three stanzas as
they now appear in the well known
hymn.
And thus in her little world of ply
sical isolation, Fanny Crosby continu-
ed to write the songs which humanity
loved to sing.
What rebuke to those who, "hav.
ing eyes, see not"
The name of no statesman, artist
poet, scientist, inventor or other rep
resentative from any sphere of genius
will be more permanently enshrined
in the world heart than that of Fan
ny Crosby. She had carried solace
to so many hearts that when the hour
of her translation came tears moist
ened the flowers which were scatter
ed upon her silent form, but they
were tears no Of regret but of graft
tude. There was one "whom having
not seen she had loved" She not
only loved Him but served Him. Now
she was to see the King in His beau
ty, and face to face" With her
spiritual vision of earth she had been
able to catch delightful glimpses of
the "land which is very far off" and
now she would find herself, in glad
reality, where the waters are still and
the pastures always green.-Des
Moines Capital