THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.

Through the sins and sorrows
Of four thousand years,
Earth has watched and waited,
Smiling through her tears;
Watched to greet the dawning
Of a brighter morn;
Waited for a Saviour,

Man, of woman born.

Now, the blessèd Dayspring
Cometh from on high;
Now, the world's Redeemer,
To her aid draws nigh;
Bearer of the tidings
From the throne of light,
To a lowly maiden
Speeds an angel bright.

In the chosen daughter
Of King David's line,
God fulfils the promise

Of King Ahaz's sign:
Gabriel hath spoken;

Mary hath believed;
And, behold, a virgin

Hath a Son conceived.

Earthly sire He hath not;
For the promised Rod
Of the stem of Jesse

Is the Son of God;
Virgin pure the Temple

Where he lies enshrined,

Holy One of Jacob,

Hope of all mankind!

Though He take our nature,
Linked to low estate,
Though He stoop to suffer,

Yet shall He be great;
Though His crown and scepter
Be of thorn and reed,
His shall be the Kingdom

Sworn to David's Seed.

Light to light the Gentiles

Bending at His throne;
Glory of His people,

When His sway they own;
He shall reign forever,

King of kings confessed,
And all tribes and kindreds
Shall in Him be blest.

Through the brightened ages,
O'er the ransomed earth,

All shall bless and honor

Her who gave Him birth;
Her of whom, Incarnate,
Came the Lord of all,
To uplift creation

From the primal fall.

Only a word can be added concerning some of the "chief women, not a few," when many words would be desirable.

MISS HARRIET AUBER has given us two valued hymns; one (No. 29) a "Lord's Day" hymn, and the other beginning with those exquisite words:

375 Our blest Redeemer, ere He breathed

His tender, last farewell,

A Guide, a Comforter, bequeathed

With us to dwell.

MRS. CLAUDIA FRANCES HERNAMAN has given us a strong Lenten hymn, beginning:

78 Lord! who throughout these forty days,

For us didst fast and pray,

Teach us with Thee to mourn our sins,

And close by Thee to stay.

TO MRS. MARY FOWLER MAUDE we are indebted for one of the best Confirmation hymns ever written, beginning:

216 Thine forever! God of love,

Hear us from Thy throne above;
Thine forever may we be,

Here, and in eternity.

MRS. MARGARET MACKAY saw on a tombstone in a country churchyard the words, "Asleep in Jesus," and at once there leaped into being the familiar hymn, beginning:

244 Asleep in Jesus! blessed sleep!

From which none ever wakes to weep;

A calm and undisturbed repose,
Unbroken by the last of foes.

MRS. MARY DUNCAN, wife of a Scotch clergyman, praying
children, brought to us the touching hymn,

for her own

beginning:

534

Jesus, tender Shepherd, hear me;

Bless Thy little lamb to-night;

Through the darkness be Thou near me;

Keep me safe till morning light.

To MRS. JEMIMA THOMPSON LUKE, the wife of an English Congregational minister, we owe that most familiar children's

hymn, beginning:

562

I think when I read that sweet story of old,
When Jesus was here among men,

How He called little children as lambs to His fold,
I should like to have been with them then.

From the brain and heart of a Canadian woman, Miss ANNA L. WALKER, there came to

beginning:

us the stirring hymn,

583 Work, for the night is coming,
Work through the morning hours;
Work while the dew is sparkling,
Work 'mid springing flowers.

A plaintive hymn, beginning:

589 Lord, I hear of showers of blessing,
Thou art scattering full and free!
Showers the thirsty land refreshing;
Let some portion fall on me,

Even me!

has reached us through MRS. ELIZABETH CODNER, the wife of an English clergyman. It was born of the revival in Ireland in 1861, and has touched many souls and brought great blessing.

ANNA SHIPTON wrote, for "Home Missions," a hymn that should move us mightily, beginning:

619 Call them in, the poor, the wretched,

Sin-stained wanderers from the fold;

Peace and pardon freely offer!

Can you weigh their worth with gold?

MRS. CAROLINE LOUISA SMITH has lifted up for us that pleading cry:

642 Tarry with me, O my Saviour!

For the day is passing by;

See! the shades of evening gather,

And the night is drawing nigh.

Of the hymns contained in our hymnal, six hundred and seventy-nine in number, including translations, ninety-three were written by women; a little more than one-seventh of the whole. In the earlier period of our modern hymnody women. contributed but little. Now they are doing much more, especially in poems suited to "Home and Personal Use." Already we owe to them some of our chiefest treasures.

Of those remaining to be considered, one came to birth in a novel. The story of its first appearance and use has been fre quently narrated. I give it as told by Dr. Charles S. Robinson

in his volume of "Annotations upon Popular Hymns.'

"Some years ago, while Charles Dickens was the editor of the magazine called Household Words, there was issued each season an extra number especially appropriate to Christmas and the holidays, filled with stories, often taken up entirely with one of good length and fine skill. In 1856 there was published a tale entitled, "The Wreck of the Golden Mary.' This was written by a lady who keeps herself in much reserve; she then lived in York, England, and was known by the literary name of 'Holme Lee,' but her real name was HARRIET PARK.