was born at Albany, was a frail, delicate woman, always an invalid, never having known, as she once said, an hour of health in all her life.

Words by P. P. Bliss

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When Jesus Comes

Music by P. P. Bliss

"Down life's dark vale we wander,

Till Jesus comes."

One day in 1872 Mr. Bliss heard a conversation between two of his friends, who were speaking on the subject of the return of our Lord. One of the ladies quoted a line from a work of Anna Shipton, This may be the day of His coming," and spoke of the joy and comfort the thought gave her. Mr. Bliss was much impressed, more deeply than ever before, as to the reality of this subject; and a few days after as he was coming downstairs from his room, still occupied with the thought of looking for Christ's appearing, he commenced singing, "Down life's dark vale we wander," the words and music coming to him as he took the successive steps down the stairs. He at once wrote it down just as we have it to-day in Gospel Hymns."

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When the Mists have Rolled Away

Words by Annie Herbert

Music by Ira D. Sankey

"When the mists have rolled in splendor

From the beauty of the hills."

I sang this hymn for the first time in The Free Trade Hall, in Manchester, in 1883, at one of Mr. Moody's meetings. The service was held at eight

o'clock on a gloomy winter morning. The hall was densely crowded and filled with mist, so much so that the people could hardly be discerned at the farther end of the hall. I felt the need of something to brighten up the meeting, and then and there decided to launch this new song. It was received with much enthusiasm, and at once became a favorite of Mr. Moody's, and continued to be so until his death.

When the Roll is Called up Yonder

Words by J. M. Black

Music by J. M. Black 'When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be

no more,

And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair."

"While a teacher in a Sunday-school and president of a young people's society," says the author of this hymn, "I one day met a girl, fourteen years old, poorly clad and the child of a drunkard. She accepted my invitation to attend the Sunday-school, and joined the young people's society. One evening at a consecration-meeting, when members answered the rollcall by repeating Scripture texts, she failed to respond. I spoke of what a sad thing it would be, when our names are called from the Lamb's Book of Life, if one of us should be absent; and I said, ‘O God, when my own name is called up yonder, may I be there to respond!' I longed for something suitable to sing just then, but I could find nothing in the books. We closed the meeting, and on my way home I was still wishing that there might be a song that could be sung on such occasions. The thought came to me, 'Why don't you make it?' I dismissed the idea, thinking

that I could never write such a hymn. When I reached my house my wife saw that I was deeply troubled, and questioned me, but I made no reply. Then the words of the first stanza came to me in full. In fifteen minutes more I had composed the other two verses. Going to the piano, I played the music just as it is found to-day in the hymn-books, note for note, and I have never dared to change a single word or a note of the piece since."

Where is My Boy To-Night?

Words by Robert Lowry

Music by Robert Lowry

"Where is my wandering boy to-night

The boy of my tenderest care?"

A mother came to me in Boston and asked me if I would try to find her wandering boy in California when I should go there with Mr. Moody to hold meetings. I promised to do what I could. For several weeks, as opportunity presented itself, I searched the cheap boarding-houses for the young man. At last I found him in the slums of the city and asked him to come to our meetings. He refused, saying that he was not fit to be seen there; but after much persuasion he came. One evening I sang: "Where is my wandering boy," and prefaced it with a few remarks, saying that I knew of one dear mother in the East who was praying for her wandering boy to-night. This, together with the song, touched the young man's heart, and he found his way into the inquiry-room, where, with my open Bible, I was enabled by God's grace to lead him into the light. I wrote to his mother and told her that her boy had been found, and that

he was now a professed Christian. She sent me money to pay his railway fare back to Boston, and in a short time he had reached home and received a hearty welcome. He soon found employment, and became a useful citizen, and has since been a follower of Christ.

"I heard Chancellor Sims relate," states the Rev. H. B. Gibbud, “that he was once traveling with a man from the West who was on his way to visit his father, whom he had left years before when he was a boy. There had been trouble between them, and the father had told the son that he could go. In his anger the boy said that he would, and that he would never return. He had gone West, where he became a wealthy ranch owner; but he had never written to his father and had held the anger in his heart toward him all those years. Then he told the Chancellor how it was that he was now returning. A train on which he had. been traveling had been snowed in, and people living near had made up a load of provisions and taken them to the imprisoned passengers. Then it was discovered that Mr. Sankey was on board, and at the people's request he came out on the steps and sang: 'Where is my wandering boy?' That song touched this man's heart, led him to God, and he was now going East to seek reconciliation with his parents."

A wayward boy was brought by a friend to the evening service of the Rev. J. H. Byers, of Stanberry, Missouri. Having learned something of his condition, Mr. Byers asked the leader of the choir to sing as a solo: "Where is my wandering boy to-night?" which

he did with great feeling. The boy was converted, the next evening he united with the church, and he has continued to be an active, praying worker ever since. The young man's parents were devoted Christians. On the same night and until the next afternoon, for what was an unknown reason to them, they were led to pray most earnestly for their lost boy. During the time when the prayer-meeting was being held, they were comforted, and believed that they would hear good news. In a few hours they received a telegram that their boy was saved. At the meeting where this hymn was sung there were present the parents of two other boys who had left their homes, and as the solo was sung they prayed that their boys might be saved and brought home. In a few days letters were received from those boys, telling their parents that they were saved on the night when the solo was sung and the prayers were sent up for them.

The author of this hymn, which has done more to bring back wandering boys than any other, became a follower of Christ at the age of seventeen. After a score of years in different pastorates he accepted the professorship of letters in his alma mater, Bucknell University, together with the pastorate of another church. This double service he performed for six years, and then moved to Plainfield, New Jersey, where he lived until his death, in 1899, at the age of seventy-three. Dr. Lowry will continue to preach the Gospel in his hymns long after his sermons have been forgotten. Many of his hymns were written after the Sunday evening service, when his body was weary but his mind refused to rest.