No foot of land do I possess, No cottage in this wilderness; A poor wayfaring man, I lodge awhile in tents below, Or gladly wander to and fro Till I my Canaan gain. More modern voices sing the John Wesley hymn to the tune "Habakkuk," by Edward Hodges. It has a lively three-four step, and finer melody than the old. Edward Hodges was born in Bristol, Eng., July 20, 1796, and died there Sept. 1876. Organist at Bristol in his youth, he was graduated at Cambridge and in 1825 received the doctorate of music from that University. In 1835 he went to Toronto, Canada, and two years later to New York city, where he was many years Director of Music at Trinity Church. Returned to Bristol in 1863. "WHEN GATHERING CLOUDS AROUND I VIEW." One of the restful strains breathed out of illness and affliction to relieve one soul and bless millions. It was written by Sir Robert Grant (1785-1838). When gathering clouds around I view, And days are dark, and friends are few, On Him I lean who not in vain Experienced every human pain. The lines are no less admirable for their literary beauty than for their feeling and their faith. Unconsciously, it may be, to the writer, in this and the following stanza are woven an epitome of the Saviour's history. He-- Experienced every human pain, --felt temptation's power, --wept o'er Lazarus dead, --and the crowning assurance of Jesus' human sympathy is expressed in the closing prayer,-- --when I have safely passed Thro' every conflict but the last, Still, still unchanging watch beside My painful bed--for _Thou hast died_. _THE TUNE._ Of the few suitable six-line long metre part songs, the charming Russian tone-poem of "St. Petersburg" by Dimitri Bortniansky is borrowed for the hymn in some collections, and with excellent effect. It accords well with the mood and tenor of the words, and deserves to stay with it as long as the hymn holds its place. Dimitri Bortniansky, called "The Russian Palestrina," was born in 1752 at Gloukoff, a village of the Ukraine. He studied music in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vienna, Rome and Naples. Returning to his native land, he was made Director of Empress Catharine's church choir. He reformed and systematized Russian church music, and wrote original scores in the intervals of his teaching labors. His works are chiefly motets and concertos, which show his genius for rich harmony. Died 1825. "JUST AS I AM, WITHOUT ONE PLEA." Charlotte Elliott, of Brighton, Eng., would have been well-known through her admired and useful hymns,-- My God, my Father, while I stray, My God, is any hour so sweet, With tearful eyes I look around,