MR. BLACK was an earnest Sunday school teacher who loved to help boys and girls. One day he walked through a poor section of his native town of Williamsport and saw a sad-faced little girl sitting on a doorstep. Bessie was the daughter of a drunkard father and was poorly dressed. Mr. Black asked her if she would like to come to Sunday school. Her eyes brightened as she answered wistfully, “Yes"; but then she cast a sad look at her ragged dress, as if to say, “but I’d be ashamed to come.” However, the next day a new dress, new shoes and hat arrived, and Bessie showed up at Sunday school all smiles. She came often to Sunday school after that.
But one evening when they were having special services for the children, the roll call was made and the children each answered with a text of Scripture. But when Bessie’s name was called there was no answer. Mr. Black called her name again, but no response — Bessie wasn’t there.
When Mr. Black spoke to the children that evening, he remarked how sad it would be for any one to be absent when in heaven the names are called of all those written in the Lamb’s book of life. It was a very impressive message and the children’s hearts were solemnized.
Wanting something to sing on this occasion, Mr. Black searched through the hymn book but could not find just what he wanted. Then after the meeting was over, as he walked home, he kept wishing for such a hymn, and the thought came to him, “Why not write one yourself?” At first he dismissed such a thought from his mind. Then as he thought of little Bessie’s absence, he prayed and thanked the Lord that he could say, for himself, “When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.” He knew the Lord Jesus as his Saviour and he had peace with God.
When he reached home, Mrs. Black sensed something was trolling him, and asked what was the cause of his anxiety. Mr. Black did not reply, but just then the words of the first stanza of a new hymn came into his mind in full.
“When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more,
When the morning breaks eternal, bright and fair;
When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore, And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.”
A few minutes later two more verses were also written down, and then Mr. Black sat down to the piano and composed the melody that came to him almost at the same time.
Little Bessie was too ill to come to the Sunday school that evening, and shortly after she passed away. We can only hope that she died trusting in Jesus who died for little children, the blessed Saviour she had learned about in the Sunday school. But the hymn she had inspired lives on. It has been sung around the world, and translated into many languages as well.
ML-10/13/1974