Poems of Home and Country/Autobiography

by Samuel Francis Smith

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR OF "AMERICA."

 

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The following letter from Dr. Smith illustrates many elements which have made his life so greatly a blessing to others:—

In accordance with your request for a familiar outline of my life, noting its chief events and the trend of my poetical writings, I send the enclosed, as the experience of one who courted the Muse partly for personal satisfaction, but chiefly from an earnest desire to promote patriotic sentiment and Christian living as he had opportunity. It has been a source of enjoyment, and, I hope, has been a comfort to others.

Sincerely your friend,

S. F. Smith.

 

SKETCH.

I count it to have been a happy lot, and, possibly, an inspiration to my choice of a profession, that I was born under the sound of the Old North Church chimes, in Boston. I understand, from veritable family records, that the modest event occurred on the 21st day of October, 1808. I confess to a little touch of satisfaction that I am permitted, in my social retirement, to count "Discovery Day," as we now style the arrival of Columbus in America, as my own birthday; but I have never claimed that the coincidence was worthy of note, outside of the immediate Smith house- hold.

Three years at the Eliot School, Boston, were fol- lowed by preparation for college at the Boston Latin School, from which I graduated to enter Harvard Uni- versity. It certainly was a grateful experience of that preparatory training, that, in 1825, I was permitted to call the "Franklin Medal" my own, as well as a gold Prize Medal" for an English poem.

My Harvard Class, 1829, brought me into intimacy with that congenial and beloved classmate, Dr. Holmes, and the friendship never abated; nor, in the progress of seventy years lacking one, was our tender fellow- ship ever lessened. Widely separated in our special lines of study, we were of "the boys" when together; and his playful reference to my being "disguised under the universal name of Smith," never hurt my sensibili- ties, but was one of the merry things of which we made sport together.

College days too quickly sped. I then pursued a three years' course at Andover Theological Seminary, from which I graduated September, 1832. I had med- dled with verses from childhood, and, before leaving An- dover, wrote the hymn, "My Country, 'tis of thee," "The Morning Light is breaking," and many others.

I had "on the brain," a penchant for comparative philology; and, in my theological course, added four languages to my repertoire, besides accomplishing the pleasing task of reading every word of Mr. Marshman's Chinese grammar, a vast quarto, nearly as large as a family Bible.

After the close of my course at Andover, I spent a year in editorial labor in Boston. Then I became vil- lage pastor in Waterville, Maine; was ordained Feb- ruary 12, 1834, and at the same time became Professor of Modern Languages in Waterville College, afterwards known as Colby University. During the course of eight years, on account of a vacancy in the Depart- ment of Latin and Greek Languages (for one whole year) all the Greek taught in the college was added to my department of instruction.

On the 16th of September, 1834, I was married to Miss Mary White Smith, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, grand-daughter of Dr. Hezekiah Smith, chaplain for six years in the Revolutionary Army, and an intimate friend of Washington, also one of the founders of Brown University, in the State of Rhode Island.

My double service in Waterville continued until Janu- ary, 1842, when I became editor of the Christian Review (Quarterly), and took up my life residence at Newton Centre, Massachusetts. Becoming pastor of the First. Baptist Church, I still retained my editorial chair till 1848 (seven years), and filled the pastorate for twelve years and a half. Meanwhile I fitted my children for college, the two elder, a son and a daughter, for the sophomore grade of college study. After resigning the pastorate, I served as the editorial secretary of the Missionary Union, fifteen years, still preaching almost constantly as a stated supply.

In 1875, accompanied by my wife, I spent a year in Europe.

In 1880, we undertook a second journey, which in- cluded Southern Asia in its itinerary, being absent. from the United States more than two years. This trip included England, Scotland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Turkey, Greece, India, Ceylon, and Burmah. We visited the missions of various Church Societies, - English, Scotch, French, German, and American, so far as time and circumstances would permit. Vari- ous correspondence had suggested the points in the field-service of the Master where labor was needed. I endeavored to learn as exactly as possible the actuali- ties of the mission-work, its methods, its personelle, its needs, its trials, and its successes.

Literary work has been the natural result of my tastes and my studies. Articles for reviews, magazines, and newspapers have been almost without number. Among books, may be mentioned the "Life of Rev. Joseph Grafton;" "Lyric Gems" (publisher's title), "Rock of Ages," the two latter containing many of my own composition; "The Psalmist," in connection. with Baron Stow, the current Hymn Book of the Bap- tist Churches throughout the United States for thirty years, from 1843; "Missionary Sketches," and "Ram- bles in Mission Fields." These were followed by "The History of Newton," Massachusetts, 950 pp. octavo; several books edited; and varions translations for the Encyclopædia Americana, from the "German Conversa- tions Lexicon," amounting to fully one thousand printed pages. Not far from one hundred and fifty of my. hymns have, in various ways, been contributed to our Psalmody.

A strong poetical bias took hold of me when I was a boy of eight years. An "Elegy on a Cat," then written, disappeared long since, as well as the cat. The first poem published, was four years later; but if you do not find it among the old papers, I cannot supply it. I have never bidden farewell to the lyre, simply because it was a part of myself.

The hymn, "America," was the fruit of examining a number of music books and songs for German public schools, placed in my hands by Lowell Mason, Esq. Falling in with the tune in one of them, now called "America," and being pleased with its simple and easy movement, I glanced at the Gerinan words, and, seeing that they were patriotic, instantly felt the impulse to write a patriotic hymn of my own, to the same tune. Seizing a scrap of waste paper, I put upon it, within half an hour, the verses substantially as they stand to-day. I did not propose to write a national hymn. I did not know that I had done so. The whole matter passed out of my mind. A few weeks afterwards I sent to Mr. Mason some translations and other poems; this must have chanced to be among them. This occurred. in February, 1832. To my surprise, I found later that he had incorporated it into a programme for the celebration of July 4, 1832, in Park St. Church, Boston. I have since heard it sung in many languages, more than half-way round the world, the latest translation of it which I have seen being into the Hebrew. When it was composed, I was profoundly impressed with the necessary relation between love of God and love of country; and I rejoice if the expression of my own sentiments and convictions still finds an answering chord in the hearts of my countrymen.

I pray that the spirit of the simple verses may be the spirit of our people evermore.