1841 JEMIMA LUKE. Manuscript of Classic Hymn, "I think when I read the sweet story of old."

An absolutely superb authorial holograph of one of the most influential devotional hymns of the 19th century, i.e. "I think when I hear the sweet story of old."

It's authoress, Jemima Thompson, was the daughter of wealthy investor and Christian philanthropist, Thomas Thompson. He had been an early prominent member of the London Missionary Society, the British and Foreign Bible Society, one of the founders in 1818 of the British and Foreign Sailors Society,, and in 1819 of the Home Missionary Society. Jemima was educated at home and began her literary career at the age of thirteen when she wrote some verses that were published anonymously in the Juvenile Friend magazine. She then studied under the well-known Christian authoress and philanthropist, Caroline Fry.

Inspired by her father's work with various missionary societies, Jemima decided after the 1837 death of her mother to do missionary work in India, and managed to convince her reluctant father to sponsor her. But when she became ill just before embarking on the adventure, her father withdrew his support. She instead turned her time and talents to the education of poor children through Sabbath Schools.

As the story goes, one summer morning, in 1841, while riding the stage from Taunton to Wellington, she composed some verses on the back of an envelope for a hymn that she named "The Child's Desire." When her hymn proved to be very popular with the children she was working with, her father published it in the Sunday School Teacher's Magazine (1841). This led to her becoming editor from 1841 to 1845 of The Missionary Repository, a new missionary magazine for children.

Her hymn next appeared untitled and anonymously in 1853 as hymn no. 874 in the widely read The Leeds Hymn-book. It subsequently became a Victorian standard. Because it appeared without a title in the Leeds book, it came to be known by the opening verse of "I think when I read that sweet story of old,", or simply either "The Old Sweet Story" or "The Story of Old".

Jemima went on to write other hymns and several books, including, The Female Jesuit (1851), The Broad Road and the Narrow Way, a Memoir of Eliza Ann Harris of Clifton (1859), Winter Work (1864), Sketches of the life and character of Thomas Thompson (1868), which is a biography of her father, and her autobiography, The Early Years of my Life (1900).

The Text:

I think, when I read that sweet story of old,
When Jesus was here among men,
How He called little children as lambs to His fold,
I should like to have been with Him then.

Yet still to His footstool in prayer I may go,
And ask for a share of His love;
And if I thus earnestly seek Him below,
I shall see Him and hear Him above;

But thousands and thousands who wander and fall,
Never heard of that beautiful home;
I should like them to know there is room for them all,
And that Jesus has bid them to come.

A very attractive manuscript in very good condition; generally bright with light foxing. A bit rippled.