Scripture Verse

All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

Introduction

Words: Mar­gar­et J. Pres­ton, Car­toons (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Ro­berts Bro­thers, 1875), page 203. The lyr­ics al­so ap­pear in her For Love’s Sake: Po­ems of Faith and Com­fort (New York: An­son D. F. Ran­dolph, 1886), pag­es 54–55. Com­pare What Will It Mat­ter? (Cros­by).

Music: Da­ni­el G. Nor­ris, in Wel­come Tid­ings, ed­it­ed by Ro­bert Low­ry, W. How­ard Doane & Ira D. San­key (New York: Big­low & Main, 1877), page 59 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Nor­ris (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Margaret J. Preston (1820–1897)

Lyrics

What will it mat­ter, by and by,
Whether my path below was bright,
Whether it wound thro’ dark or light
Under a gray or gold­en sky,
When I look back on it by and by?

What will it mat­ter, by and by,
Whether, un­helped, I toiled alone,
Dashing my foot against a stone,
Missing, per­haps, the an­gel nigh,
Bidding me think of the by and by?

What will it mat­ter? Naught, if I
Only am sure the way I’ve trod,
Gloomy or glad­dened, leads to God;
Questioning not of how, or why,
If I but gaze on Him by and by.

What will it mat­ter? What the sigh,
If, in my fear of slip or fall,
Closely I’ve clung to Christ thro’ all,
Mindless how rough the path might lie,
Since He will com­fort me by and by?