Harriet Eugenia Peck Buell (1834–1910)

Harriet Eugenia Peck Buell spent her life in the steady, often unseen work of Christian devotion—raising a family, encouraging the church, and putting enduring truth into memorable words. She died on February 6, 1910, in Washington, DC. Though her name is not widely known outside hymnals, her legacy continues wherever believers sing of God’s fatherly welcome and Christ’s saving riches.

Buell’s “heroism” was not the kind that fills headlines, but the kind that holds fast in ordinary days: persevering faith, patient service, and the courage to hope when feelings lag behind. She wrote as one acquainted with weakness, yet convinced that the gospel gives a secure identity that does not rise and fall with circumstance.

“A Child of the King” (Hymn and Theme)

Buell’s best-known hymn, “A Child of the King,” turns the heart toward the gospel privilege of adoption. In plain, singable lines, it contrasts spiritual poverty with the riches of belonging to Christ. The hymn’s strength is its simple insistence that Christians are not trying to earn a place in God’s house; they have been brought in by grace, given a new name, and taught to live as heirs.

This theme echoes Scripture’s own language of welcome and inheritance: “So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.” (Galatians 4:7) For the discouraged, Buell’s message is a gentle correction: your worth is not manufactured by performance; it is received in union with Christ.

Washington, DC, and a Lasting Gift

That Buell died in the nation’s capital is a small reminder that God’s kingdom advances not only through public leaders, but through faithful saints whose influence spreads quietly. Her hymn has served generations as a tool for perseverance—especially when shame, anxiety, or hardship tempt believers to forget who they are.

The Bible joins Buell in calling weary hearts to confidence: “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:16) In a world of uncertain identities, Buell’s words continue to point to a steadier truth: through Christ, believers are welcomed into the Father’s household as sons and daughters of the King.