Show I BROWNINGS F FIRST LOVE LOVE The Author of the Hymn Nearer My God to t Thee St Louis Republic Always Alwa S popular the beautiful hymn Nearer My God to Thee Thae has taken take takena n a a new now hold bold upon the hearts of at the th e American people To Its Immortality has been added a n n halo of ot association that will for all time endear it it I with a special and pathetic charm to the mil lions Ions who loved and admired William VIlliam McKInley And with Its sudden and lind widespread revival has came an interest and a curiosity with reference to the author ship of at the hymn and yet et there are ar few who can enn answer it for there are a re but few who know of the gifted author autho of ot this written song few who know knon that It was written by a woman oman more mor e than sixty years ago While her glor Ious lous ous words live on she Js is s forgotten Her He humble grave lies hidden In a avIl vil lage age churchyard unmarked by any an monument or token of the recognition n of ot her genius Her name was Sarah Flower Adams Adam She was an English woman born i In h the little village of Harlow in the year yea 1805 Though there are not many at a t this day who have bave ever heard of her hershe he r she won no small amount am of ot fame tame as a poet and writer during her life lite an and I for many years after her memory was wa s cherished i by y the literary world of Lon don 0 O O S She was wa Robert Brownings first love bye loveIt loveIt It was to her alone of at all ll his friends friend frie ds s that he showed his first volume o of t poems and It was through her efforts effort s that his poems were published and an d given to the world She recognized th the e genius of the young poet Had sh she e failed to give him encouragement who wh o knows but that the name of Robert Rober 1 Browning might never neve have adorned adorne d the world of at literature She was a Unitarian and a a member r of the congregation of William John Johnson son lion Fox the noted Unitarian preacher r of London Because of the fact tact that tha t she belonged to this denomination there ther e were a number of churches especially especial Y th the Methodist and Baptist that refused refuse d for many years to include Nearer My 31 y God to Thee In their hymnals A Unitarian UnIt was regarded as a heretic i inot If It f not an Infidel and it was pointed out ou t that the hymn contained no reference to Christ The objection to Its use however was finally overcome by In a stanza in which Christ and the Trinity TV were ere specifically men The hymn was written In the year 1840 1340 and set to music by Eliza Flower an elder sister of ot the author In addition to his religious work the Rev Mr Fox also edited a literary magazine to which Sarah was a fre frequent frequent frequent quent contributor together with Ith John Stuart Mill Harriet Martineau Charles Dickens Leigh Hunt Robert Brown ling ing and others equally famous in the realm of letters She became much in In the writings rIUn of a contrib contributor contributor contributor who signed himself Junius Re She did not know who he was but she took occasion to address a note to him In care of the magazine expressing her bier admiration of his work She signed this with her nom de plume S Y which represented her pet name of Sally Without revealing his Identity Ju Junius Junius Junius replied ing her courtesy and returning the with some commendatory criticism of the work of S Y This led bed to further correspondence on topics I of mutual literary Interest until there was established between the two un known writers a a cordial friendship and understanding white while Miss bliss Flowers ad admiration admIration for her masked charmer found added Justification In n his delightful and scholarly letters This was In the year RR 1833 Miss Flow Flower er et was then 28 8 years old and It was during that year that she met Mr Ir II l l L l l l 11 1 1 l l JL J 1 J l i I Adams her future husband He Ile was a achU civil chU engineer and a man of eminent attainments as a scientist and a scholar An Instant attachment sprang up u between him and Miss Flower and during their engagement which speed speedIly speedily ily followed she was was surprised and more than delighted to discover that the choice of her heart was none other than th n Junius They were married within a 5 year Jear ear after their engagement and the marriage mar marriage proved to be in to its joys and its comradeship all that their fond hearts had anticipated For many years It had been Mrs Adams ambition to go upon the stage I With the encouragement and approval o her husband she now found the first opportunity of realizing her great am b and she prepared herself for the task Her first appearance was at ats a small mall s ll theatre In Richmond In n the role rote of Lady Macbeth It was a decided success and was followed by a flat fiat flattering offer otter from a theatrical man manager aCer ager But Buton on the very threshold of what promised to be a famous career her health compelled her to relinquish the cherished dream of her life It was a asad asad asad sad and cruel blow Yet she bore It with cheerfulness and a fortitude that ever characterized her lovable dispo disposition disposition Her nature was markedly religious and devotional As a girl and young woman she accepted without question all that her parents had taught her in fn their strict religious training But as she grew gr w older her heart was many times troubled with doubts and misgivings mis misgivings givings She felt that she was drifting from the cherished traditions of child hood And yet with It all came the real that she was drawing nearer to God She was but casting from her the dogmas the traditions that were trammeling her soul in its it attitude to the Almighty And out of the heart heartaches aches and the pangs of many years of spiritual suffering was born at last this most Inspiring and most comforting of the worlds greatest hymns Nearer My God to Thee v v 0 0 S It Is doubtful however whether the hymn h mn would ever eer have hae become known had it ft not been for the composer who set its words to the present familiar tune It was in 1860 that tha t Dr Lowell Mason of New York composed for the hymn the tune that Is s now nou so well known It remained for him to unfold the beauties arid and the power of the hymn Through the spirit of his sym pathetic music it was quickened Into glorious life and within a few Ce years had spread throughout the entire Christian world and was brought with in the reach of every ever heart and every voice But by the time its beautiful lines I I had become be ome known to the world its sweet author had long since passed away She died with no thought no expectation of fame Her tombstone bears bars the simple inscription SARAH FLOWER ADAMS Born Barn February 22 2 1805 1155 Died August 14 1848 1845 And that Is all that marks the rest ing place of her to whom wham the world owes so large a debt of gratitude |