There is the throne of David; Are clad in robes of white. O sweet and blessed country, TUNE "EWING." 154- NEAR US STANDING HERE FORGETFUL. WHEN the miners were imprisoned in Pontypridd mine, expecting never again to see the light of day, they sang the following verse of a hymn well known in Wales: IN waveil support my head, the waves and mighty waters But my Saviour, my Beloved, Who was stricken in my stead: I shall through the waves go singing YN 7N y dyfroedd mawr a'r tonau Ond fy anwyl Briod Iesu Ddeil fy mhen yn uwch na'r don Yn yr afon ddofn hon. I asked Mr. Burt if he could tell me what hymns had been sung by North-country miners in similar circumstances, but he did not know. APPENDICES. APPENDIX I. SOME LETTERS FROM WORKING-MEN. ONE of the difficulties which I have had to contend with has been the multitude of letters received from unknown correspondents, who have kindly responded to my appeal, and certify that this, that, or the other hymn marked an epoch in their life. It is quite impossible for me to quote from all, or even from many of those letters, neither can I by any possibility print all the hymns which have thus received the hall-mark of personal helpfulness, but one or two extracts may be made, chiefly from those upon whom the burden of life rests somewhat heavily. Thomas Martin, a Darlington engineer, writing as one of the "Sons of Toil," says:— "We, sir, have our helps as well as those above us. I can assure you that the sweet songs of the sanctuary of the soul have given us weary ones many a solace and a lift; and amidst the jarring and wrangling of the sectarians over their creeds and dogmas, how sweet is that inspired hymn No. 169 in Dr. Martineau's collection of 'Hymns of Praise and Prayer,' commencing thus Spirit of Truth, be Thou my Guide, O clasp my hand in Thine. And let me never quit Thy side, Thy comforts are divine. Pride scorns Thee for Thy lowly mien ; But who like Thee can rise Above this toilsome sordid scene, Beyond the holy skies. Weak is Thine eye, and soft Thy voice; But wondrous is Thy might To make the wretched soul rejoice, And give the simple light. I can assure you, sir, that we have our consolations and help from such-like hymns; and many more." Another working-man sends me a letter expressing his earnest hope that, whatever else is left out, I will take care to include No. 28 in Sankey's hymn-book; the hymn beginning, "I left it all with Jesus, long ago." Speaking of his own experience, he says he passed through a period of much tribulation, seeking peace and finding none : "I thought I had done my best, but still that was unsatisfactory. Something always seemed to be kept back; something that ought to have come out and did not, or rather, perhaps I should say that was not fully understood by the one to whom it was told. I had no doubt of my wish to repent, no doubt of my willingness to make every reparation in my power, but still peace would not come, At last I took it all straight to Jesus, and the burden rolled away from my heart. That is why I love No. 28 of Sankey's collection of Sacred Songs and Solos." Hymns often act in this fashion. They cling to the memory, and by supplying the right word at the right time, act as the open sesame" to the treasure which had been long and vainly sought. An adult class at a friend's school at Darlington, being asked to say which hymns had helped them most, named, “I know not what awaits me," with the chorus, "Where He may lead, I'll follow" as the first favourite; the second, "When our heads are bowed with woe;" the third, "In the secret of His presence, hangs my soul's delight;" the fourth, "Oh, safe to the Rock that is higher than I." A mechanic of Oldham tells how when work was slack and hands were being dismissed, and no one knew whose turn it would be next- he was mightily sustained by a verse in Cowper's hymn, "Sometimes a light surprises." The verse which did him good, and seemed to him a message from God, was this, after the verse ending, "E'en let the unknown tomorrow bring with it what it may ": It can bring with it nothing, But He will bear us through; Many a time that verse has cheered him and given him good heart to face the worst in the gloomiest of bad times. I have said that from the uttermost parts of the earth I have received communications, and there are few places more out of the way than the Chatham Islands, although this year they have been favoured with a bi-monthly postal service. My correspondent, who uses the nom de plume "Tabitha," says that her husband well remembers when nine months elapsed before they heard from the outer world. Once a year a manof-war anchors for a few days off the island, but the islanders, for the most part, live secluded from the outer world, weaving their own wool, supplying their own needs in primitive patriarchal fashion. My correspondent quotes, as the two verses which have helped her, the following: And when I'm to die, But this do I find, That we two are joined, There are many hymns which have played no small part in the lives of men, which, however, I cannot include in this collection. Take, for instance, the hymn, "How bright these glorious spirits shine." In the life of Duncan Matheson, Scottish Evangelist, we read that on the first Sabbath after he arrived at Balaclava, he and one or more of the 93rd Highlanders retired to a ravine, read, prayed, and sang the battle-song of David and Luther, "God is our refuge and our strength;" and on page 70 to 71 we read: One night, weary and sad, returning from Sebastopol to the old stable at Balaclava where he lodged, his strength gone, sickened with the sights he had seen, depressed by the thought that the siege seemed no nearer an end, so, trudging along in mud knee-deep, he looked up and noticed the stars shining calmly in the clear sky; instinctively his weary heart mounted heavenward, thinking of "the rest that remaineth for the people of God," he began to sing aloud, How bright these glorious spirits shine. Next day, though wet and stormy, he went out and came upon a soldier in rags, standing under an old verandah for shelter; his naked toes were showing through worn-out boots. Matheson, speaking words of encouragement, gave him half-a-sovereign to purchase shoes. The soldier thanked him, and said: "I |