Cast thy bread upon the waters (Anon)

Cast thy bread upon the waters (Anon). This is a hymn with the same first line, and in the same metre, as ‘Cast thy bread upon the waters’* by Phebe Ann Hanaford*. It is based, like hers, on Ecclesiastes 11: 1, but it is so different from her hymn that it requires a separate entry.  It is found in many revival hymnals in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, such as Gospel Hymns 5 and 6 Combined (1892) and in editions of Sacred Songs and Solos, where (in both books) the tune is attributed to Ira D. Sankey* and the words are declared to be by ‘Anon’. It had three 8-line stanzas: ‘Cast thy bread upon the waters’,   Ye who have but scant supply; Angel eyes will watch above it,   You shall...