speak of "The Morning Light is Breaking," and its
charm as a hymn of peace and promise, and intimate that it has "gone
farther and been more frequently sung than any other missionary hymn."
Besides the English, there are versions of it in four Latin nations, the
Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and French, and oriental translations in
Chinese and several East Indian tongues and dialects, as well as one in
Swedish. It author had the rare felicity, while on a visit to his son, a
missionary in Burmah, of hearing it sung by native Christians in their
language, and of being welcomed with an ovation when they knew who he
was.

The morning light is breaking!
The darkness disappears;
The sons of earth are waking
To penitential tears;
Each breeze that sweeps the ocean
Brings tidings from afar,
Of nations in commotion,
Prepared for Zion's war.

Rich dews of grace come o'er us
In many a gentle shower,
And brighter scenes before us
Are opening every hour.
Each cry to heaven going
Abundant answer brings,
And heavenly gales are blowing
With peace upon their wings.

* * * * *

Blest river of Salvation,
Pursue thy onward way;
Flow thou to every nation,
Nor in thy richness stay.
Stay not till all the lowly
Triumphant reach their home;
Stay not till all the holy
Proclaim, "The Lord is come!"

Samuel Francis Smith, D.D., was born in Boston in 1808, and educated in
Harvard University (1825-1829). He prepared for the ministry, and was
pastor of Baptist churches at Waterville, Me., and Newton, Mass., before
entering the service of the American Baptist Missionary union as editor
of its _Missionary Magazine_.

He was a scholarly and graceful writer, both in verse and prose, and
besides his editorial work, he was frequently an invited participant or
guest of honor on public occasions, owing to his fame as author of the
national hymn. His pure and gentle character made him everywhere beloved
and reverenced, and to know him intimately in his happy old age was a
benediction. He died suddenly and painlessly in his seat on a railway
train, November 16, 1895 in his eighty-eighth year.

Dr. Smith wrote twenty-six hymns now more or less in use in church
worship, and eight for Sabbath school collections.

_THE TUNE._

"Millennial Dawn" is the title given it by a Boston compiler, about