The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-02-12
Passes Quietly Away AT Age
OfSNinety.fiye At Her !
Home.
songs INSPIRE world.
WORDS OF HER PEN HAVE BEEN
TRANSLATED INTO EVERY
KNOWN TONGUE.
by B, Associated Press,

BRIDGEPORT, coan.. Feb. ~
Fanny Crosby. wei known hymn wri4
er, died today at her home in her
9th year.
Eight thousand hymns Of Christian
worship. sung in Protestant churches
throughout the world, are the work Of
Fanny Crosby. No one since the days
Of Charles Wesley or Isaac Watts has
trfbution to the gospel song book as
did the blind writer whose death oc.
Cured today.
Fanny Crosby's name was signed SO
regularly as author of one hymn after
another that the hymn book makers
OF o quarter of century ago were
forced to give her some 200 different
pen names to make it appear that
someone besides The famous writer
had contributed. Thousands-perhaps
hundreds of lthousands-who sang her
songs. which were translated into
every Language. did not know that It
was O blind lwomans inspiration which
they employed to express their Chris
tian faith and hope in song.
Saved by Grace" blessed Assur-
ance. Rescue the Perishing." and
"Safe in the Arms Of Jesus" are typi-
cal Of Fanny Crosby's most popular
religious verses. OF the latter the
writer has related an incident show
ing the remarkable rapidity with
which she employed her inspiration
and her talents of versiflcation.
w II. Doane, who wrote the music
for many of her verses, had called
one morning at Miss Crosby's home
in New York.
.I4must take train to- Cincinnati
In forty minutes" he said, "and l have
some music for which want you to
write q hymn"
elsat down at the piano and played
hisimusic.s
"Isthink I can write it, Mr.. Doane."
Isaid!
hurried upstairs and sat down to
write. For some time was entirely
obliytous of surroundings. When
came back to my full senses the hymn
was written and was on paper before
me. ISlearned that had only taken
fifteen minutes. f'rinS1phantly car
rteddt ,downtt to Mr.. Doane. The music
he played then. and the words had
hurriedly written are the same as
used today in singing Safe in the
Arms of Jesus.
was my most successful hymn,
and i believe 1t was dictated by the
spirit of the Lord, and that 1t was
born for a mission"
But Fanny Crosby did not begin
hymn writing until she was over 40
years of!age. Fifty years ago she was
best known for her popular melodies,
which were whistled all over the coun-
try, such as PROUD World Good.by,
I'm Going Home" Hazel DELL" "The
Honeysuckle Glen,' and Never For
get the Dear Ones"
Born In Putnam county, New York
state. March "a, 1920, Christened
Frances Jane Crosby. and married to
Alexander Van Alstyne. blind music
teacher who died many years ago, the
blind writer lived to be 95 years olS,
Her mother had lived to be 102, ard
her grandmother to be 106. She re-
tanned to the last all Of her faculties
excepting eyesight. She lost this
during a fever in infancy when hot
poultice was applied to her eyes, de.
stroy1ng the optic nerve.
AT eight yearz the little girl dis.
played her first talent In versification
BY this philosophy of contentment:
oh, what a happy soul am I!
Although l cannot see:
i mresolveds that In this world
Contented I will be.
~
How many blessings I enjoy,
That other people don't;
TO weep ana sigh because I'm blind,
Ieannot and won't.
Eorftwe!S> vars she studied at the
New York Institution for the Blind.
She never learned to read by the
raised letters. Playing the guitar
while o child she so calloused her
fingers that they were not sensitive
enough tosread the raised characters.
ALI she learned she memorized from
hearing. During her connection with
the institution, which included an ad-
ditional IL years as teacher, she
Travelled all over the country declaim-
ing her own verses. Before both
houses OF Congress she once recited
these special lines:
10 We, who here from every state
Illustrious band! May we not hope
the scene
You now behold will prove to every
mind
Instruction hath a ray to cheer the
blind.
TfSvt AaxncIotnd fs.o-.N