About this ebook
All her poetry and prose is saturated with the living Word of God; it has a freshness and power which only the eternal dew of heavenly truth could impart. Frances always looked to the Lord for her messages before writing anything. On one occasion she wrote to her sister of her strong belief that, "If I am to write to any good, a great deal of living must go into a very little writing."
In an effort to preserve her prose for this generation, Opened Treasures was first published in 1962.
"She yielded herself utterly to God. By virtue of this, her writings reached and moved a multitude of souls."—T. H. Darlow
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About the author
FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL (14 December 1836 - 3 June 1879) was an English religious poet and hymn writer. Take My Life and Let it Be and Thy Life for Me (also known as I Gave My Life for Thee) are two of her best known hymns. She also wrote hymn melodies, religious tracts, and works for children.
She was born into an Anglican family at Astley in Worcestershire. Her father, William Henry Havergal (1793-1870), was a clergyman, writer, composer, and hymn writer. Her brother, Henry East Havergal, was a priest in the Church of England and an organist.
In 1852-1853 she studied in the Luisenschule, Düsseldorf, and at Oberkassel. She enjoyed travel, particularly to Switzerland, and supported the Church Missionary Society.
She died of peritonitis near Caswell Bay on the Gower Peninsula in Wales at age 42. She is buried in the churchyard at St Peter's parish church, Astley, together with her father and near her sister, Maria Vernon Graham Havergal.
Her sisters saw much of her work published posthumously. Havergal College, a private girls' school in Toronto, is named after her, and composer Havergal Brian adopted the name as a tribute to the family.
