loved to sing its long note at eventide. No. 61, "Conversion,"
is Father Faber's hymn, "I was wandering and weary" (No. 66 in the
London Oratory Hymn Book[49]), but the original air in both Oratory
books is the same, and the composition of Cardinal Newman.

[Footnote 49: _Oratory Hymn Tunes._ Arranged by W. Pitts. London:
Novello.]

[Music:

I was wandering and weary,
When my Saviour came unto me,
For the ways of sin grew dreary,
And the world had ceas'd to woo me;
And I thought I heard Him say,
As He came along His way, &c.]

Its peculiar merits grow upon familiar acquaintance, and a devoted
lover of plain chant, rather to our surprise, once expressed his
affection for it. It has been termed "briny," like No. 81. Its
expressiveness and "go" are unquestionable,[50] and it is becoming
popular without the public in general knowing who the composer is. The
study of the application of music to words was interesting enough, as
the Cardinal remarked in April, 1886. Sometimes the music could not
quite fit in with the words,[51] and one or other had to give way, and
on our referring to this music to Father Faber's hymn "Conversion," he
said he had an idea that the words had been somewhat altered to suit
his tune. The reverse would appear to be the case. At least the
refrain, "O silly souls," &c., is not identical in the Birmingham and
London books.

[Footnote 50: Father Lockhart's solitary original tune, harmonized by
Mr. A.H. Prendergast, and set to Father Faber's Hymn to St. Joseph,
"There are many saints above," is another example of tender sentiment
by an amateur that outweighs any technical defect as to settled
rhythm.]

[Footnote 51: In 1834, when Keble wrote an Ode on the Duke of
Wellington's installation as Chancellor at Oxford, Dr. Crotch was
employed to write the music, and Mr. Newman wrote to his friend: "I
hope Dr. Crotch will do your ode justice." And on difficulties arising
with the composer, he wrote again to Keble: "I like your ode
uncommonly. I would not budge one step for Dr. Crotch. His letter is
most amusing, and your counter-suggestions are amusing too.... I would
go so far for Dr. C. as to offer him your _frigate_, which certainly
does better for music than the long ode." Later on he inquires: "How
do you and Dr. Crotch get on?" and Keble replies: "Crotch has
swallowed the _frigate_ whole." (Mozley, _Corr._ ii. 29.)]

[Music: _Birmingham._

O silly souls com