the Feet of Jesus," "Hallelujah! 'tis Done," all of which appear in Gospel Hymns No 2, are examples of the truth of this statement. It is also very suggestive to notice the character of teaching, in words furnished by other authors with music written by him, that appear in this same work. I am sure that he did not contemplate any test of this kind in making his selections from scores of manuscript songs that were monthly sent to him; he simply set music to the words that inspired music in his soul. I do not think he ever exchanged a word with any one as to any distinctive character of teaching in the songs selected; but all these words that he selected convey the same leading truths. "Look away to Jesus," "Hold fast till I Come," "Out of the Ark," "Till He come, is well with My Soul," etc., are examples. Mr. Bliss' songs can only be understood and appreciated by an understanding of the reality to him of the truths they convey, as connected with a personal Christ. The words he sang so grandly

Christ Jesus is my all in all,

My comfort and my love,
My life below, and He shall be
My joy and crown above-

99 66 It

just filled his soul. I believe he had no more thought, in singing them, of doing anything for the entertainment of people, or to excite admiration, than the meadow lark mounting to heaven, singing as it soars. He sang from an overflowing heart to the praise of his Savior. The last words that I know of his writing were the two pieces, "My Redeemer," and "I've passed the Cross of Calvary." Nothing that he ever wrote made him more happy. I can see him now, as he came into my room at Peoria and stood by my table, with the words of the latter piece written in pencil, and I can hear his earnest voice as he read the verses and called my attention to the "empty tomb" and the "vantage ground;" and the tears filled his eyes as he stood for a moment and spoke of the risen Christ, the acceptance we have in Him, and the victory over sin and over the flesh that faith in such acceptance gives the believer. Now he said, "If the Lord will give me a tune for this, I believe it will be used to bring some souls on to the mountain." The Lord gave him a tune during the last week of his life at Rome. He sang it to the family with inspiring effect, but the written music then

used was burned at Ashtabula. It was one of a few pieces that he placed in his satchel, to look over during his journey. The family are all musicians, but cannot recall the melody that inspired them that evening, and we shall not hear it as he sang it until we stand with him in the rapidly-hastening-on resurrection morning, and know, with him, the fullness of Christ's resurrection power. I think that then, among the voices of the redeemed, we shall distinguish his, and hush our praises for a moment to listen to the tune the Lord had given him as he sings

Oh, glorious height of vantage ground,

Oh, blest victorious hour!

God grant to all who read a part in that first resurrection.

In writing, Mr. Bliss had a marvelous command of words and facility in selecting the very happiest phrases to express his thought. A favorite entertainment with him was to have a word selected, and each of the party present make as many words as possible from the letters contained in the word chosen. After each had written out all the words he could conjure, and lists were compared, it would always be found that he had two or three words the most. He loved to make adjectives and alliterations of words, commencing with the same letter, as in the lines,

"Earth's fairest flowers will droop and die.
Life's dearest joys flit fleetest by."

He had all the gifts of a natural poet in instinct and imagination, and the faculty of expressing his thoughts in fitting musical words and sentences. There was a charm in the nicely balanced, sensitive criticism which he would in a deprecating way give upon verses submitted him for criticism, or which he himself had written, that is very pleasant to recall.

The pieces that contain most of the true genius of poetry, in the latest edition of Gospel Hymns, as viewed by those of critical taste, would probably be the hymn "Eternity," by Miss Ellen Gates, and "Arise and Shine," by Miss Mary Lathbury; and no words that he ever set to music ever so inspired Mr. Bliss, or so satisfied his poetic instincts. He could not read or sing the words without enthusiasm. Indeed, the music he wrote for them shows how keenly in sympathy with the words he must have been. Never did music

SONGS BY "PAULINA."

63

more aptly express the heart that beats, in living words, than the inspiring melody of "Arise and Shine," and the sweet, solemn strains of "Eternity," as completed by him.

It is not claimed for Mr. Bliss that the works he leaves behind

him would give him a reputation as a great poet. He was very far from classing himself in the list of poets at all. But it is claimed that he possessed the true poetic genius in a far more than ordinary degree, and that, had his life been spared, he would have given expression to poetry equal to the very best of our sacred hymns. There will be many who will claim this for some of the pieces that he has left behind him. Let the hymns speak for themselves, and may his prayer be answered, that the gifts, the style and the person of the author be lost sight of in the theme they present.

It has been stated that Mrs. Bliss wrote several hymns which were published in Mr. Bliss' books under the name of "Paulina." This is a mistake. So far as is known, Mrs. Bliss never wrote any hymns or songs. Two pieces of very popular music were suggested by her to Mr. Bliss, and were written out by him and published as her compositions. One of them was "I will Love Jesus;" the other, "Rock of Ages." Both melodies are very beautiful, and were Mrs. Bliss' suggestion. The words, "I will Love Jesus," were written by Mrs. Dr. Griswold, of Chicago, for many years a friend of Mr. Bliss, and the writer of many popular hymns set to music by Mr. Bliss, George F. Root, and other composers. Her nom de plume has always been "Paulina." The above and three other pieces written by Mrs. Griswold, viz., "We're going Home To-morrow," "Hold Fast till I Come," "Who is on the Lord's Side?" with music by Mr. Bliss, appear in Gospel Hymns. The name "Paulina" was associated with Mrs. Bliss in the Memorial Services held in Chicago, and the impression there given that she was the writer of the hymns credited to that name.

Several pieces known as Mr. Bliss', and made popular by his music, will be missed from this collection. They are omitted because the words were not written by him. Several of them were changed by him to adapt them to the music. Many of them have an entire verse or words for chorus added by Mr. Bliss; but no pieces, so far as could be known, have been printed in his memoirs, except those of which he was the sole author. Among popular pieces known as

Bliss' hymns, the following, with the names of the authors of the

The latter piece was found in manuscript, set to music, among Mr. Bliss' papers, and was supposed, by friends, to have been written by him, and has been so spoken of. It was certainly among the last pieces that he set to music, and the thoughts it expresses, so appropriate to what awaited him, were vividly upon his mind in changing the words and arranging the music during his last days. It can thus truly be regarded as his last song. But the sweet poem he used was from the pen of the gifted Alice Carey. All of these corrections and the giving of credit to whom it is due cordance with the spirit of Mr. Bliss, that the writer takes pleasure in making these remarks.

are so in ac

CHAPTER VII.

THE JOYFUL EXPERIENCES OF 1876-GOSPEL MEETINGS AT ST. LOUIS-TRIP TO ALABAMA-"NOT TOM THUMB "-VISIT TO KENESAW MOUNTAIN-THE INSPIRATION OF THE SCENE-" HOLD THE FORT AND THE INCIDENT WHICH SUGGESTED IT.

Ν

IN writing of the last days of Mr. Bliss, his own words near the

close of 1876 are recalled, and naturally introduce what comes to the mind, and lead to a brief resumé of the work of the whole of the last year of his life. He counted it a year of special mercy and blessing. He had been permitted to carry out his plans as to places he would like to visit, and as to songs he would like to publish, and had had his prayers answered in the conversion of friends, and deeper spiritual experience for himself and others. The reader can but notice, as he follows him through the year, that, by the mercy of God, his work rounded out to completion, and it was a year passed very much as he would have liked to have had it, had he known that upon the very last day of the year his friends would have been searching for his body, and that his work on earth was to end with 1876.

In January of that year, Mr. Bliss was at Racine and Madison, Wisconsin, and was much blessed and very happy in Gospel work. Christians were much revived, and many unsaved in both places were led to Christ. In the latter place he became much attached to Rev. Mr. Bright, pastor of the Baptist Church, who, a few months later, fell dead in his pulpit from disease of the heart. Mr. Bliss was much impressed by the news of his sudden death, and expressed himself as wishing just such a departure.

In the latter part of January, Mr. Bliss went to St. Louis, where he remained until March, singing in the Gospel meetings held in the Rink, and holding a service of his own for the young people in Dr. Ganse's (Presbyterian) Church, which was largely attended, and will be long remembered by scores of the young people in St. Louis.