1823–1910

Introduction

Born: Ap­ril 19, 1823, Plas-y-Velin, Neath, Gla­mor­gan­shire, South Wales.

Died: May 10, 1910, Clif­ton (near Bris­tol), Eng­land.

Buried: Ar­nos Vale Ce­me­te­ry, Bris­tol, Eng­land.

portrait

Biography

Anna was the daugh­ter of Eli­jah War­ing.

She was raised a Quak­er, but was bap­tized into the Church of Eng­land in 1842 at St. Mar­tins, Win­nall, Hamp­shire.

She was deep­ly in­volved in phil­an­thro­pic work, es­pe­cial­ly the Dis­charged Pris­on­ers’ Aid So­ci­ety.

Waring mas­tered He­brew as a young girl, to be able to stu­dy Old Tes­ta­ment po­et­ry, and dai­ly read the orig­in­al He­brew psal­ter through­out her life.

Works

Poem

To _____

When turning to my place of rest,
In hope of glory soon to be,
Lo, leaning on our Savior’s breast,
Dear child of God, I meet with thee.
And hushed is every bitter sigh
For strength bowed down at early day,
And busy doubting lowly lie,
And anxious musings fly away.

In the clear light I see thee here,
The light no earthly cloud may dim,
O who can have a gloomy fear
For those whom Jesus keeps with Him?
The sharpest gale that lays us low,
Our Savior’s still small voice obeys—
And every sacred joy we know
Springs to His eternal praise.

When, with one heart to Jesus given,
Within His sheltering arms we stay,
Our happy hope with Him in Heaven
Seems not so very far away.
The hope we have, with patience waits,
Kept in His secred presence thus—
And lo, we see the open gates
Of God’s bright city near to us.

Safe in that city of delight,
How glad my ransomed soul will be,
When walking with the Lamb in white,
Dear child of God, I meet with thee.
If, by His love from fear set free,
This shadowy vale to thee seems fair,
O how my heart will long to see,
Thy pleasure in His presence there.

Anna Laetitia Waring
Hymns and Meditations
Fourth edition, 1854

Sources

Lyrics