opularity. He himself agreed that
the second stanza quoted above was not suitable for hymn purposes.

Whatever judgment may be passed on Dr. Gladden's liberalistic views, it
will be agreed that he looked upon Christianity as an intensely practical
thing; and, if he underestimated the value of Christian dogma, it was
because he emphasized so strongly the necessity of Christian life and
practice.

He was always buoyed up by a hopeful spirit, and he believed implicitly
that the Kingdom of Light was gradually overcoming the forces of evil. In
one of his last sermons, he said:

"I have never doubted that the Kingdom I have always prayed for is
coming; that the gospel I have preached is true. I believe ... that the
nation is being saved."

Something of his optimism may be seen reflected in the words of his hymn.

A Hymn of the City

Where cross the crowded ways of life,
Where sound the cries of race and clan,
Above the noise of selfish strife,
We hear Thy voice, O Son of man!

In haunts of wretchedness and need,
On shadowed thresholds dark with fears,
From paths where hide the lures of greed,
We catch the vision of Thy tears.

From tender childhood's helplessness,
From woman's grief, man's burdened toil,
From famished souls, from sorrow's stress,
Thy heart has never known recoil.

The cup of water given for Thee
Still holds the freshness of Thy grace;
Yet long these multitudes to see
The sweet compassion of Thy face.

O Master, from the mountain-side,
Make haste to heal these hearts of pain,
Among these restless throngs abide,
O tread the city's streets again,

Till sons of men shall learn Thy love
And follow where Thy feet have trod;
Till glorious from Thy heaven above
Shall come the city of our God.

Frank Mason North, 1905.

A HYMN WITH A MODERN MESSAGE

Among the more recent hymns that have found their way into the hymn-books
of the Christian churches in America, there is none that enjoys such
popularity and esteem as Frank Mason North's hymn, "Where cross the
crowded ways of life." It is a hymn of the highest order, beautiful in
thought and unusually tender in expression. It is typical of the trend in
modern hymns to emphasize the Church's mission among the lowly and the
fallen.

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