I Will Early Seek the Savior

Lucinda M. Beal Bateman, frequently published as Mrs. L. M. Beal Bateman or under the pseudonym Grace Glenn, was a versatile American writer and poet associated with the social and religious movements of the late 19th century. Born in 1843 and a resident of Ionia, Michigan, her work was characterized by a strong moral and civic pulse. She married Zadoc Henry Bateman in 1875, and her literary career flourished alongside her family life; her daughter Grace's name served as the inspiration for her pen name. Her bibliography reflects a focus on accessible, rhythmic verse designed for both private reflection and public performance.

A significant portion of Bateman’s legacy is rooted in the Temperance and Prohibition movements. In 1889, she published The Prohibition Speaker through the Fillmore Brothers, a prominent publisher of gospel and social reform music. This collection was an essential resource for "temperance entertainments," providing a structured variety of readings, dialogues, and songs designed to advocate for the abolition of alcohol. Her work in this area highlights the role of female writers in using creative arts to fuel political and social change during the Victorian era.

As a poet, she demonstrated a keen ability to speak to the specific anxieties and hopes of her generation. Her collections, including A Book of Rhymes to Suit the Times (1886) and Gleams of Gold (1889), offered verse that balanced Victorian sentimentality with practical moral guidance. Her hymns and poems often focused on the themes of divine light and the presence of God in the ordinary moments of life. These works were intended to be "Gleams of Gold" in a world she often viewed through the lens of urgent social reform.

Bateman passed away around 1943, having lived through nearly a century of radical American transformation. She remains a representative figure of the Midwestern literary tradition of the late 1800s—a tradition where the lines between church music, social activism, and domestic poetry were often beautifully blurred. Her contribution to your archive preserves the voice of a woman who viewed the "rhymes of the times" as a powerful tool for building a more virtuous society.

Bibliography and Key Contributions