William W. How, Anglican clergyman, was born on this day in 1823.  Instead of pursuing the fame and power of higher positions in the church, How was best known for his work among the poor in East London. How was also a hymn writer, and one of his best known hymns is “We Give Thee But Thine Own.”

We give thee but thine own,
whate’er the gift may be;
all that we have is thine alone,
a trust, O Lord, from thee.

May we thy bounties thus
as stewards true receive,
and gladly, as thou blessest us,
to thee our firstfruits give.

O hearts are bruised and dead,
and homes are bare and cold,
and lambs for whom the Shepherd bled
are straying from the fold.

To comfort and to bless,
to find a balm for woe,
to tend the lone and fatherless
is angels’ work below.

The captive to release,
to God the lost to bring,
to teach the way of life and peace
it is a Christ-like thing.

And we believe thy Word,
though dim our faith may be;
whate’er for thine we do, O Lord,
we do it unto thee.

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The American Episcopal priest Phillips Brooks was born today in 1835.  Brooks is best known as the writer of the Christmas carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” which he penned for the children of his Sunday School.

O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight

For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
And Peace to men on earth

How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may his His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born to us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel

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The actor Dick Van Dyke turns 83 today, having been born on this day in 1925.  Here is my favorite Van Dyke movie clip.

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The poet James Wright was born on this day in 1927. Wright was the product of working class parents and many of his poems are about that lifestyle.  He won the Pulitzer Prize for literature 1972 for his book Collected Poems. Below is one of his poems.

Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio

In the Shreve High football stadium,
I think of Polacks nursing long beers in Tiltonsville,
And gray faces of Negroes in the blast furnace at Benwood,
And the ruptured night watchman of Wheeling Steel,
Dreaming of heroes.

All the proud fathers are ashamed to go home.
Their women cluck like starved pullets,
Dying for love.

Therefore,
Their sons grow suicidally beautiful
At the beginning of October,
And gallop terribly against each other’s bodies.

To listen to this poem being read, as well as another, click these links:

Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio

Lying in a Hammock at William Duffy’s Farm in Pine Island, Minnesota

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George Gershwin’s “An American In Paris” premiered in New York City on this date in 1928.  Below is Ella Fitzgerald singing one of the tunes from the show:  “Our Love Is Here to Stay.”

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The actor Christopher Plummer turns 79 today (born in 1929, if my math skills have not failed me this morning).

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And my daughter will be glad to know that singer Taylor Swift turns 19 years old today (born in 1989 in Wyomissing, PA – just up the road from Pottstown).  I am sure that this will mean I get to hear even more of her latest CD on the “Desi-Exchange” drives that take place every other week, let alone hearing the music blaring from her room.  Here is her video “Love Story.”