Old Melodies

How far from home? I asked, as on

No. 1147
Tune HOW FAR FROM HOME?
Words Annie R. Smith.
Music Arranged.
Key E-flat major
Singing key E♭ major
Time 4/4
4 stanzas

Words

How far from home? I asked, as onI bent my steps—the watchman spake:"The long, dark night is almost gone,The morning soon will break.Then weep no more, but speed thy flight,With Hope's bright star thy guiding ray,Till thou shalt reach the realms of light,In everlasting day."

I asked the warrior on the field:This was his soul-inspiring song:"With courage, bold, the sword I'll wield,The battle is not long.Then weep no more, but well endureThe conflict, till thy work is done;For this we know, the prize is sure,When victory is won."

I asked again: earth, sea, and sunSeemed, with one voice, to make reply:"Time's wasting sands are nearly run,Eternity is nigh.Then weep no more—with warning tones,Portentous signs are thickening round,The whole creation, waiting, groans,To hear the trumpet sound."

Not far from home! O blessed thought!The traveler's lonely heart to cheer;Which oft a healing balm has brought,And dried the mourner's tear.Then weep no more, since we shall meetWhere weary footsteps never roam—Our trials past, our joys complete,Safe in our Father's home.

About this hymn

As printed As printed: running head «MISCELLANEOUS—OLD MELODIES.»; hymn number «1147» (large), tune name «HOW FAR FROM HOME?» centred over the music (condensed capitals and small capitals), «ARRANGED.» at the right (capitals and small capitals); no metre is printed. Stanza 1 is interlinear: under system 1, after «1.», two lines between braces — «How far from home? I asked, as on I bent my steps—the watchman spake:» and «"The long, dark night is almost gone, The morning soon (omit.) . . . . . .» — with «will break.» right of the closing brace (first ending / second ending, see `truth.json`); under system 2 two lines between braces — «Then weep no more, but speed thy flight,» / «With Hope's bright star thy guiding ray,» (between repeat signs) — and then one line in a condensed bold face, «Till thou shalt reach the realms of light, In ev - er - last-ing day."» (see `lyrics_syllables.txt`). Stanza 1 below is that sung text in verse lines (the 2nd time through system 1 gives lines 3–4, the repeat of system 2 gives lines 5–6). Stanzas 2–4 are printed as text in the left column below the music, numbered «2»–«4» without periods (written «2.»–«4.» here, as in the other deliveries of this book); lines 2, 4, 6, 8 are indented. «Annie R. Smith.» in bold italics after stanza 4. The print sets a thin space before «:» «;» «!» and «?» («field :», «done ;», «home !», «home ?»); it is closed up here. Opening and closing quotation marks are the print's (written straight); stanza 4 has none. In stanza 3 line 1 the «I» of «I asked» is a damaged letter that prints like «1»; it is the pronoun «I». A handwritten «Annie R Smith» in the top margin of this copy is a reader's note, not part of the print. Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's («spake», «traveler's»).