e dean expressed satisfaction, but
the poet replied, "No, no, the sense is not complete." And so he added
the fourth verse--"Waft, waft, ye winds, His story"--and the greatest
missionary hymn of the ages had been born.

The story of the tune to which the hymn is sung is equally interesting. A
Christian woman in Savannah, Georgia, had come into possession of a copy
of Heber's words. The meter was unusual, and she was unable to find music
to fit the words. Learning of a young bank clerk who was said to be
gifted as a composer, she sent the poem to him. Within a half hour it was
returned to her with the beautiful tune, "Missionary Hymn," to which it
is now universally sung. The young bank clerk was none other than Lowell
Mason, who afterwards achieved fame as one of America's greatest
hymn-tune composers. The marvel is that both words and music were written
almost in a moment--by real inspiration, it would seem.

Bishop Heber's hymns are characterized chiefly by their lyrical quality.
They are unusually rich in imagery. This may be seen particularly in his
beautiful Epiphany hymn, "Brightest and best of the sons of the morning."
In some respects the hymns of Heber resemble the later lyrics of Henry
Francis Lyte, writer of "Abide with me, fast falls the eventide." They
ring, however, with a much more joyous note than the hymns of Lyte, in
which are always heard strains of sadness.

We have already referred to Tennyson's estimate of Heber's hymn to the
Holy Trinity. It should be observed that this great hymn is one of pure
adoration. There is nothing of the element of confession, petition or
thanksgiving in it, but only worship. Its exalted language is Scriptural
throughout, indeed it is the Word of the Most High. It is doubtful if
there is a nobler hymn of its kind in all the realm of hymnody. The tune
to which it is always sung, "Nicaea," was written by the great English
composer, Rev. John B. Dykes, and is comparable to the hymn itself in
majesty.

Other fine hymns by Heber include "The Son of God goes forth to war,"
"God that madest earth and heaven," "O Thou, whose infant feet were
found," "When through the torn sail," "Bread of the world in mercy
broken," and "By cool Siloam's shady rill."

Altogether Heber wrote fifty-seven hymns, all of which were published in
a single collection after his death. It is said that every one of them is
still in use, a rare tribute to the genius of this consecrated writer.

Heber's