Tragedy struck =
the home of America’s most popular poet. On July 9th, 1861, Henry =
Wadsworth Longfellow’s wife, Fanny, was near an open window sealing =
locks of her daughter’s hair in a packet, using hot wax. It was =
thought that a spark from a match or a candle caused her dress to catch =
fire and engulf her with flames. Her husband, sleeping in the next =
room, was awakened by her screams. He desperately tried to put out =
the fire and save his wife. He was severely burned on his face and =
hands.
She, so =
tragically burned, slipped into a coma the next day, and died. His =
grievous burns would not even allow him to attend her funeral. He =
seemed to lock the anguish within his soul. Because he continued =
to work at his craft, only his family knew of his personal =
suffering. They could see it in his eyes and observe his long =
periods of silence. His white beard, so identified with him, was one of =
the results of the tragedy — the burn scars on his face made shaving =
impossible.
Although =
already famous and a legend in his own time, he still needed the peace =
that God gives to His children. His pastor asked the poet if he would =
write a children’s poem about Christmas to be read in church. =
Early on Christmas morning, 1864, just three years following the =
horrible accident, he sat down to try to capture, if possible, the joys =
of the season. He began:
"I heard =
the bells on Christmas day.
Their old, =
familiar carols play,
And wild and =
sweet the words repeat
Of peace on =
earth, good will to men."
As he came to =
the third stanza, he was stopped by the thought of the condition of his =
beloved country. The Civil War was raging full swing. Earlier, the =
Battle of Gettysburg saw 50,000 casualties. Days looked dark, and =
he probably asked himself the question, "How can I write about =
"peace on earth, good will to men" in this war-torn country, =
where brother fights against brother and father against son?" But =
he kept writing — and what did he write?
"And in =
despair I bowed my head:
‘There is no =
peace on earth’, l said,
‘For hate is =
strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on =
earth, good will to men!"’
It seems as if =
he could have been writing these words for us today in 2022 and the =
conflicts around the world! Wadsworth then turned his thought to =
God, the only One who can give true and perfect peace, both in the heart =
and on the earth, and continued writing:
"Then =
pealed the bells more loud and deep:
God is not =
dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong =
shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to =
men."
Thus, we have =
the marvelous Christmas carol, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas =
Day". A musician, J. Baptiste Calkin, wrote the musical =
setting that has helped make the carol a favorite still today. The =
wrong SHALL fail, the right PREVAIL with peace on earth, good will to =
men!
[adapted]
~~
Dr Bob Griffin =
[email protected] =
www.grif.net =
"Jesus =
Knows Me, This I =
Love!"