breaks the continuity of the hymn. Better sing is in its original form-long metre double-to the dear old melody of "Bonny Doon." The voices of Scotland, England and America are blended in it. The origin of this Caledonian air, though sometimes fancifully traced to an Irish harper and sometimes to a wandering piper of the Isle of Man, is probably lost in antiquity. Burns, however, whose name is linked with it, tells this whimsical story of it, though giving no date save "a good many years ago," (apparently about 1753). A virtuoso, Mr. James Millar, he writes, wishing he were able to compose a Scottish tune, was told by a musical friend to sit down to his harpsichord and make a rhythm of some kind solely on the black keys, and he would surely turn out a Scotch tune. The musical friend, pleased at the result of his jest, caught the string of plaintive sounds made by Millar, and fashioned it into "Bonny Doon."

"LAND AHEAD!"

The burden of this hymn was suggested by the dying words of John Adams, one of the crew of the English ship Bounty who in 1789 mutinied, set the captain and officers adrift, and ran the vessel to a tropical island, where they burned her. In a few years vice and violence had decimated the wicked crew, who had exempted themselves from all divine and human restraint, until the last man alive was left with only native women and

That me veteran's death-song should be perpreet in word music is not strange.

Land ahead! its fruits are waving
O'er the hills of fadeless green;
And the living waters laving

Shores where heavenly forms are seen.

CHORUS.

Rocks and storms I'll fear no more,

When on that eternal shore;

Drop the anchor! furl the sail!
I am safe within the veil.

Onward, bark! the cape I'm rounding;
See, the blessed wave their hands;
Hear the harps of God resounding
From the bright immortal bands.

The authorship of the hymn is credited to Rev. E. Adams-whether or not a descendent of the Island Patriarch we have no information. It was written about 1869.

The ringing melody that bears the words was composed by John Miller Evans, born Nov. 30, 1825; died Jan. 1, 1892. The original air-with a simple accompaniment-was harmonized by Hubert P. Main, and published in Winnowed Hymns in 1873.

"ETERNAL FATHER, STRONG TO SAVE.”

This is sung almost universally on English ships. It is said to have been one of Sir Evelyn Wood's favorites. The late William Whiting wrote it in 1860, and it was incorporated with some alterations in the standard English Church collection

entitled Hymns Ancient and Modern. It is a translation from a Latin hymn, a triune litany addressing a stanza each to Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The whole four stanzas have the same refrain, and the appeal to the Father, who bids-the mighty ocean deep

Its own appointed limits keep,

-varies in the appeal to Christ, who

-walked upon the foaming deep.

The third and fourth stanzas are the following:
O Holy Spirit, Who didst brood
Upon the waters dark and rude,
And bid their angry tumult cease,
And give, for wild confusion, peace;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea.

O Trinity of love and power,

Our brethren shield in danger's hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them wheresoe'er they go:

Thus evermore shall rise to Thee

Glad hymns of praise from land to sea.

William Whiting was born at Kensington, London, Nov. 1, 1825. He was Master of Winchester College Chorister's School. Died in 1878.

THE TUNE.

The choral named "Melita" (in memory of St. Paul's shipwreck) was composed by Dr. Dykes in 1861, and its strong and easy chords and mod