05 May 2011

Hattie's Bible: 1846 'Parting Hand' Hymn-Treasure Chest Thursday

Hattie's Bible has been such a treasure to me.  One of the papers stored within the pages of the Bible was E.A. Poor's Verses, dated March 14th 1846.  I believe this is Hattie Fenn Glover's mother, Elizabeth Ann Poor Fenn, my great great grandmother.  She would have been 20 years old in 1846.  At the end of the verses it says it was "Written by Sarah Barnum from Connecticut" and a date that is difficult to read because it is in the crease of the paper.  I do not know who Sarah Barnum was.

After researching the verses, I learned that this is a hymn titled, "Parting Hand".  It was published in 1835 and can be found in "The Southern Harmony" hymnal, hymn number 113, listen here.  I found it in a Baptist hymnal too.  I was thrilled to be able to hear a version of it.  I wonder if my gg grandmother hummed this as she did her work.   

Hattie Fenn's grandfather and grandmother, Daniel Fenn and Huldah Rowley Fenn, were founding members of the First Baptist Church of Sylvan, in Sylvan Township, Washtenaw, Michigan.  The church was founded in July of 1833.



                                                                         Parting hymn
My dearest friends in bond of love,
Whose hearts in sweetest union prove
Your friendship's like a drawing hand
Yet we must take the parting hand.

Your company sweet your union dear
Your words delightful to my ear
But when I see that we must part
You draw like cords about my heart.

How sweet the hours have passed away
When we have met to sing and pray
How loft we have been to leave the place
Where Jesus shows his smiling face.

O! could I stay with friends so kind
How would it cheer my struggling mind
But duty makes me understand
That we must take the parting hand.

Then since it is God's holy will
We should be parted for awhile
In sweet submission all one
We will say our Father's will be done.

O! follow youth in christian ties
Who seek for mansions in the skies
Fight on you'll gain that happy shore
When parting hands will be no more.

How oft I have seen your flowing tears.
And heard you tell your hopes and fears
Your hearts with love have seemed to flame
Which makes me hope we'll meet again.

Ye mourning souls in sad surprise
Jesus remembers all your cries
O! trust his grace, and in that land
We will no more take the parting hand.

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Ye christian friends both old and young
I hope in Christ you'll all be strong
If here on earth we meet no more
O! may we meet on Canaan's shore.

I hope you will all remember me
If here my face no more you see
An interest in your prayers I crave
That we may meet beyond tho grave.

A few more days and we shall go
From all our cares and fears below
In shouts of triumph we shall fly
and dwell with Christ eternally.

O! Glorious day of blessed hope
My heart leaps forward at the thought
When in that happy happy land
We will no more take the parting hand.

                                                     Written by Sarah Barnum, from Connecticut
                                                                                June 29th 18??

E. A. Poors Verses
    Sylvan March 14th 1846

2 comments:

  1. What a great family treasure to have.
    Kathleen, a3Genealogy

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you, Kathleen I agree and am very thankful for having it.

    ReplyDelete