Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-14
FANNY CROSBY, BLIND.
HYMN-WR|TER, IS DEAD
Eight Thousand Songs of Christian
Worship Constitute Her Re-
markable Work.
EMPIRES IN HER o5TH YEAR
Used Some 200 Different Pen Names
I'm Her ContributiOns-Her Story
OF the Inspiration That Resulted in
Safe in the Arms OF Jesus"

Fanny Crosby. well-known hymn
writer died Friday at her home In
Bridgeport. Conn, In her ninety
year.
Her death was not unexpected. as
her health had been failing for some
time. At her bedside were her niece.
Mrs. Henry -. Booth, and other MEM
hers of the family with whom she
long had made her home
In spite of feeble health. Miss Crosby
continued writing hymns up TO n short
time before her death.
Eight thousand hymns OF Christian
worship. sung in Protestant churches
throughout tho world. are the work
of Fanny Crosby. No one since the
days OF Charles Wesley or Isaac Watts
has made anywhere near as large a
contribution to the gospel sonEbook as
did the blind writer whose death oc-
Cured to-day.
Fanny Crosby's name was signed so
regularly AS author of one hymn after
another that the hymnbook makers OF
quarter Of century ago were forced
to give her some 200 different pen
names to make it appear that some
one besides the famous writer had con-
tributed. Thousands. perhaps hundreds
of thousands. who sang her songs,
which We're translated into every Ian
GuaEe, did not know that 1t was a blind
-
ployed to express their Christian faith
and hope in song.
saved by Grace" blessed Assur-
ancc." Rescue tho Perishing' and
safe in the Arms of Jesus" arc typical
OF Fanny Crosby's most popular re-
ligious verses. OF the latter the writer
mas related an incident showing the
, remarkable rapidity with which she
employed her Inspiration and her
talents of vcrsification.
"sAFE IN ARMS OF JESUS
WRITTEN IN FIFTEEN MINUTE
w. II. Doane, who wrote the music
for many OF her verses. called one
morning at Miss Crosby's home in New
York.
- must take train to Cincin-
natl In forty minutes he said. and
have some music for which I want you
to write a hymn
He , sat down Mt the plano and
~ think 1 can write It. Mr.. Doanc,'
I said
Il hurried upstairs and sat down to
write. For some time I was entirely
| oblivious of surroundings. When
| came back to my full senses the hymn
was written and was on paper before
| me. 1 learned that 1 had only taken
| fifteen minutes. Triumphantly / car
| ried it down to Mr. Doane. The music
he played then and the words 1 had
hurriedly written are the same as used
to-day In singing Safe in the Arms
of Jesus
1T was my most successful hymn,
and l believe II was dictated by the
| Spirit of the Lord. and that 1t was
| born for a mission"
! Born In Putnam County, :Sew York
/ state, March "a, 1920. christencd Fran
ces Jane Crosby. and married to Alex
0nder van Alstyne. blind music teach
| or, who died many years ago. the
! blind writer lived to be ninetyfour
years old. Her mother had lived to be
| 1902, and her grandmother to pc 100.
She retained TO the last all of her
! Notwithstanding eyesight She lost
! this during 4 fever in infancy. when Il
+ hot poultice WAS applied to her eyes.
! destroying the optic nerve.
! At eight years the little girl dis
played her first talent In versification by
/ this philosophy or contentment:
"Oh. what happy soul am I.
| Although cannot see:
| am resolved that In this world
Contcnted I will be.
"How many blessings I enjoy
I That other people don't;
To weep and sigh because I'm blind
i l cannot and l won't"
! For twelve years she studied at tie
( New York Institution for the Blind
! She never learned to read by the raised
! letters. Playing the guitar while n
I child she so calloused her fingers that
! they were not sensitive enough to read
! the raised characters. Ali she learned
| she memorized from hearing. During
J her connection with the institution.
which included an additional twelve
! years as teacher. she travelled all
over the country declaiming her own
verses Before both Houses OF Con-
gress she once recited these special
| lines:
20 yc, who hero from every State con-
! Vene.
ilIustrious band! may we not hope the
! scene
You now behold Will prove to every
mind
instruction hath I ray to cheer tho
! nl