PERILS AND SAFEGUARDS OF REPUTATION.-Very few persons have been in public and active life any great length of time without realizing some of the petty annoyances to which their position exposes them. Sometimes their acts, words, or supposed views will be misrepresented by those who, though honest enough in purpose, are deficient in attention or in power to comprehend. Sometimes envy, or interest, or blinded partisanship will distort and misrepresent. In this way it may come about, that for the time, a man's character, position, and views may be misapprehended even by those who aro not unfriendly to him. And thus he suffers injury. This seems to be a sort of impost to which every public man is liable.

How such things are to be treated is a grave question. If they are of an aggravated character, and come from a responsible source, active defense may become necessary. It may be duty to one's self, to his family, and to the public, to call the slanderer to judgment. But if little or no responsibility attaches to the author of calumnies and slanders, or if no public interest is liable to suffer, it is better to let him gabble away till the thing cures itself. The slanderer, in striving to destroy the reputation of another, will often find that he has been gnawing a file, and that the only effect produced is the blunting of his own teeth. On the part of the assailed, this course may require some patience, some grace-but in the end it is no doubt the better way to get along.

A reputation which has been built up by years of steady and patient toil, must be supposed to possess some power of resistance to assault. When it was told Plato that certain individuals had uttered slanders against him, he replied: "I shall take care so to live that nobody will believe them." This was a noble sentiment; and though uttered by a heathen, it is worthy of a place among the maxims of Christian philosophy.

Then, too, in maintaining this position, a man preserves his own self-respect. A person of some propriety is passing along the street, when a whiffet rushes up to his heels, snapping and barking furiously. It is annoying; but what shall he do? Shall he pick up a bowlder or a club, and commence a pitched battle with the whiffet; or shall he walk quietly along, and let it bark away till it gets out of breath? In the former case he may succeed in frightening it, maiming it, or even dashing out its brains! But the most brilliant victory achieved in this way will hardly compensate for the loss of self-respect in being engaged in such a ridiculous war.

On the whole, then, we think it best, under all ordinary circumstances, patiently to pursue the path of duty, and let reputation vindicate itself from all petty assaults.

This is the course we adopted for ourselves years ago; and this is now our answer to the brother who inquires: "Is it not a minister's duty, when he is slandered, to vindicate himself before the public?"

THE ENGRAVINGS FOR APRIL.-The view on the Great Miami is from an original painting, by Mr. Frankenstein, a well-known landscape painter of the west. The calm and quiet beauty of the scene will not fail to touch the

sensibilities of those who have souls capable of appreciating the beauties of nature and art.

But the likeness of "Fanny Forester" will probably be still more attractive to our readers. We are assured by a friend, who was personally acquainted with the subject, that it is a very exact likeness. As to the manner of its execution, the artist has done his very best; and if it don't give entire satisfaction, he will almost conclude that such a thing is impossible.

With our most guarded and studious effort, we find it impossible always to satisfy ourselves in the matter of engravings; but if we can keep up to the standard of the present month, we shall come very near what we aim at.

A PARLEY WITH OUR CONTRIBUTORS.-Two articles from our own pen are made to give place this month for others. The number is also made up, as our readers will perceive, almost entirely of original communications-altogether, we believe, except brief selections. Still a large number of articles lie over. Our contributors must have patience. We never before were so largely and so well supplied with articles, both in prose and poetry. Many thanks to our kind literary friends.

Our readers will find the "Personal Recollections of Summerfield, by Bishop Morris," of striking interest. They will also join us in the wish that the official duties and bodily health of the Bishop admitted of his writing more frequently for our pages. Bishop Morris never takes up the pen without having something to write; he never tires the reader, and, what is better, never fails to do him good.

We regret to find the article marred in a few places by typographical errors. On page 193, line 25 from the top, the second "wonder" should read wonders; on page 194, for "door-steps," read stair-steps; on page 195, supply "to" after the word "out," in line 27 from top; and in line 36, supply quotation marks after the word "rest."

The translation from the German, by Professor Nadal, carries the reader into a new region, almost untrodden by the explorer; and at the same time gives a graphic description of one of the great wonders of the world. We hope to hear from the Professor again in the same line.

To the name of Mrs. Judson-more so perhaps than to any other literary woman our country has produced-is attached a deep sympathetic interest. The appreciative sketch of her, from the pen of Alice Cary, is well worthy of perusal.

Reader, how would you like to take a trip with the presiding elder to "The Head of Holly," in his “next round?" Some tell us the presiding eldership is a mere "sinecure." So it may be in some places, possibly; but not on the district that includes "Holly."

We would like also to note the articles by Messrs. Bell, Nordhoff, Coggeshall, and others; but our space will not admit of it.

to the Flowers;" "I Long to be There;" "Sunrise;" "Thoughts-Bright Thoughts;""Farewell;" "The Death of Christ;" and "My Two Hours."

Prose. "The Heart's Sorrow" awoke our sympathies, but will hardly do to publish. The author of "Paddle Your Own Canoe" must "try again." The author of "Lines from Memory," if studious, may make a writer.

SERIAL ARTICLES.-We are sufficiently apprised that serial articles are not as acceptable as others to the generality of our readers, and therefore avoid them when we can. We have quite a number now on hand; none of which we can use, unless we retrench some of them so as to bring them within the compass of one or two articles.

OUR COURSE STILL ONWARD.-Thanks be to our kind friends-friends of the Repository, our course is still upward. At this date, March 4th, we learn the publishers are issuing 34,000. Friends, shall it not reach at least 36,000 before the volume closes? Nay, shall it not reach that by the first of May? One little effort more on the part of every friend, and the work is done.

We have sometimes, in hours of gloom, questioned whether we ought not to be in another field; our heart has yearned for "a people " to whom we might regularly minister, and with whom we might enjoy the social sympathies that exist between pastor and people. But the support, and confidence, and encouragement of the Church, and the consciousness that we are where we are at her bidding, give us heart.

BUSINESS OF THE WESTERN BOOK CONCERN.-The Annual meeting of the Book Committee of the Western Book Concern, took place on the 18th of February last. The affairs and general management of the Concern were most carefully examined, and the Committee were enabled to act with entire unanimity.

The resources of the Concern are.

Liabilities, including balance due the Methodist Epis copal Church South....

.$246,738 07 79,161 61 $167,576 46 $18,795 30

$91,636 07

Periodical do

103,083 16

Since that the aggregate of the sales has not been published in their exhibit. The increase has no doubt been great. But the above shows that the Western Book Concern, in amount of business, is less than four years behind the parent establishment in New York. Surely she has proved a fruitful daughter. She is now fully of age, and acts for herself.

The report also shows the periodicals of the Western Book Concern to be in a most prosperous state. The annual meeting of the Book Committee occurs too early for

the most favorable showing-as some thousands of lagging subscribers usually come in after the middle of February. Yet enough is indicated in these returns to show that large gains will be realized. Even at that date the Western Christian Advocate had reached 27,232, and will no doubt reach at least 32,000; and that, too, notwithstanding the two new papers with which its old territory is now generously divided. This is certainly a high compliment to its editor and publishers; and the more so, as they have confined themselves strictly to the usual methods of extending the circulation of our journals.

The North-Western Christian Advocate showed the

goodly list of 10,600, being a gain of 1,600. At this date it is much in advance of that, and will, we hope, not stop short of 14,000. The upward career of this paper has been most gratifying. It will, in the end, become one of our most widely circulated journals. Its patrons feel that the mantle of the departed Watson has fallen on the right successor, and well they may. The Depository at Chicago has been a prodigy of success. That city is the natural center of a vast and rich territory; and in addition to this, that territory is being rapidly occupied by a people who are ranked among the most intelligent and enterprising on the face of the globe. We can hardly wonder, then, at the rapid expansion of the Depository, and the wide circulation of the paper. Indeed, the editor of the Repository has reason to bow himself profoundly in the direction of the north-west. A circulation of 9,000 in that region, is no mean compliment to the intelligence and good taste of the people.

The Central is got up in a style not inferior to the best of our papers. It enters the list bravely; and, notwithstanding all the disabilities under which it commenced, reported even at that early date 3,600 subscribers. Well done! we say. Only let the patronizing conferences rally around it in right good earnest-every preacher take hold of the matter in a way that says the thing must go, and "grand success" will be the result. Success, we think, is now certain; but "a grand success" is attainable. Try it, brethren. The first of May is not a bad time to send in subscribers.

The Christian [German] Apologist is also running up at a rate that must do the soul of its noble editor, Dr. Nast, good. It stood at the date referred to, 7,656-gain, 1,011. The "Sunday School Bell" has already 8,643 subscribers.

We are glad, also, to observe a gain in the Sunday School Advocate of 10,884 at Cincinnati, and 10,000 at Chicago-making a total circulation in the west of 51,998.

We regret that the gain on the Quarterly is so small. Its circulation ought to have doubled. Still more do we regret to see a falling off in the circulation of the National. That periodical deserves a better fate. We are at a loss to comprehend the reasons for such a result. Our Agents in the west enter heartily into the interests of these periodicals, and have never failed to bring them to the notice of our people through their advertising columns. This is as it should be. We should be unwilling to have any agency in disrupting the two great publishing interests of the Church. The responsibility of any thing that even looked in that direction, would be found too heavy to be borne.

These mighty resources of intellectual and moral power in the Church, under the sanctifying influences of the grace of God, will, and ought to contribute immensely to the redemption of the world from sin, and to the elevation of our common humanity.