Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1923-04-19
AMERICAS FAVORITE HYMN-"Tbe Et,


a musical magazine, has recently conducted a ma
tion-wide allot to ascertain the favorite hymn
More than $1,000 nominations were sent in.
abide With Me" the leader, by consider
able majority. Nearer My God to Thee" is next
Lead Kindly Light is third, Rock of Ages is
fourth, with Jesus Lover OF My Soul" and Holy
Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty" as the next in
order. The referendum was conducted over a
very wide range and may be said to be representa-
tive OF the choice of this country.
In this exhaustive census in which George Age
irving Bachelor, William Jennings Bryan, Mich
olas Murray Butler, George Chadwick, DR.. Russ
ell H. Conwe, DR.. Frank Crane, Cyrus H. K.
Curtis, Bishop Warren B. Gambler, Chauncey M.
Depew, Charles w. Elliot, John Drew Strickland
Gillian, Amelia CALI urc John Luther Long,
sThurlow Leurance, Judge Ben M. Lindsay, Ed
win Markham, Mary Roberts Rhinehart Dr. Eu-
gene Noble, amts II. Rogers, ohn Phillip Sousa,
Henry Van Dyke Owen Wister were among those
who participated
abide with Me" was written by the Rev Hen
ry Francis Lyle G703-l8H an obscure English
parson a few hours before his death after admin
istering final communion service to his parish
oners The music composed by well-krowr
English organist and composer, William Henry
Monk, (l823-l809). The hymn second in favor is
Nearer My God to Thee" The words by Sarah
Flower Adams and the music by the American
musical educator, Lowell Mason, 17o2 1879.
These the hymns OF simple faith, u .pe, e
reverence.
Abide with me; fast falls the cvoSltde
The darkness deepens, Lord with me abide,
Swift to its close GIBBS out LIES feetine day
Its glories fade, its kingdoms pass away.
Change and decay in all around see,
0 Thou Who changest not abide with me-"
That is the cry from the heart of reverent Am
erica-thc appeal of the wanderer lost in the shad-
ow of the approaching long night-bewdered,
forsken by pride of intellect which perhaps has
been a false guide-and abandoned him in the will
derness to the wolves of doubt Intellect may
convince; science may scott, and the new philos-
cphies seek to destroy and give nothing in place of
that they take away-yet dspite these the despair
ing cry is abide with Me, O Thou Who Changest
Not-Abide with me- And those who abandon
all other hope and utter that prayer as Of a lost
child in the darkness of the forest calls for its faith
or IN the faith that the cry will be heard-will be
heard. That song IS a prayer, as well as song
II stirs the profoundest depths of any one with
spark OF reverence left and is appeal from NOR
tails helpless at the roads of the eternal WAYS.
Much of the same nature is Nearer NV God
To Thee" and the same Cardinal Newmans grand
hymn and appeal, Lead, Kindly Light" the sec
ond and third selections of the people
The tremendously persuasive \appeal OF music.
and OF hymns such these three the people nave
selected do not seem to be appreciated in these
modern days as much when the congregations
were expected to furnish the music by singing the
hymns Let church be all but darkened let the
three hymns be sung which the American people
have said are their favorites, and let there be a
short, earnest. fervent and reverent praver-and
maybe more people would go to church if sucn
services were more common?
More music-morc of the love of the Father
more OF the helping hand reaching down out of the
iniinite-and the message OF hope waited on sweet
and solemn music to the wanderers-and there
will be more OF them to struggle in out OF the dark
ness.