A Beautiful Story ~ An Impressive Melody
"Old Jim's Christmas Hymn" (1896)
(Rock of Ages)
SONG and CHORUS.
Sung by Will F. Denny.
Words and Music by William B. Gray
The Originator & Only Successful
Writer of This Class of Song.

Published by Gray & Co., New York, N. Y.
[Source: 143/034@Levy]

1.
Old Jim was a character, well known about the town,
From singing in the village church, he'd gained a great renown.
To hear him sing each Sunday morn, to church the good folks came,
But soon he drifted downward to a drunkards life of shame,
Though years had passed since poor old Jim had strayed away,
He told the parson he would sing that coming Christmas Day,
When Christmas came within the church there sat in ev'ry seat,
A saddened heart, when Jim arose, and sung so soft and sweet:-- 

CHORUS [sung after each verse]
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Each eye with tears was dim.
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
That was old Jim's Christmas Hymn.

2.
Christmas days will come and go, and so will Christmas hymns,
But never will there be a song to equal that of Jim's,
The song of "Rock of Ages," all thro' life had been his choice,
For when a child 'twas him by his dear old mother's voice,
Within those same old sacred walls, in christian songs of praise,
His voice had oft been heard before, since early childhood days,
But sweeter far than ever it was now to that great throng,
Which gathered there on Christmas morn, to hear Jim sing his song:--