Rev. John S. C. Abbott says, "God is more truly the parent of every being on earth, than its earthly father and mother can be. We are God's sons and daughters in a far higher sense than we are the sons and daughters of our earthly parents. Yes: God is our Father in a far more exalted sense than any earthly parent can be. Earthly love is frail and variable. God's love is unchanging.”

Can our God, who is such a Father, inflict suffering upon his children, that will do no good, and have no end? Could an earthly father do that and still claim to be a good father?

T. H. T.

A WORLD'S WONDER. The long talked of World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition, at New Orleans, was formally opened December 16 with appropriate ceremonies. It was a gala-day at the Crescent City, which was gorgeously decorated and thronged with visitors. Among the distinguished guests were members of the Cabinet, governors of States, foreign commissioners, army and navy officers, and Indian chiefs, Judges of Supreme, Circuit and District Courts. After addresses between the Exposition Board of management and the nation's chief executive at Washington had flashed across the wires, the machinery was set in motion at the touch of a telegraphic key in the East Room of the White House by President Arthur.

This display of earth's treasures promises to be when fully arranged the most complete of any that has yet been made, and truly a world's wonder. Three of the immense buildings, the Main Building, the Government and States' Building and Horticultural Hall are already practically filled. The art gallery, which will be especially attractive, the Mexican building and others are rapidly being set in order. The whole scene is that of a vast hive of human industry. It is a marvelous show-and all these are the fruits of Peace! M. H. G.

LETTER FROM KANSAS. HODGEMAN Co., KAN., Dec. 11, 1884. DEAR MRS. MANFORD:

For the past few months I have fallen far short of being a regular contributor for the MAGAZINE. But if I have been neglectful I have not been forgetful of my promise to aid you-though in a small way-in furnishing matter for your numerous readers. I regret that I could not have given you more frequent and better communications. I confess, however, that my regrets have been lessened since learning that Bros. Weaver and Tabor have been harnessed for permanent work in your editorial department. I most heartily congratulate you and your patrons in view of this arrangement. The friends of the MAGAZINE ought to make vigorous and continuous efforts for the enlargement of its already wide sphere of usefulness. The Universalist presswhether weekly, monthly or quarterly— has done capital service for truth and righteousness in all the past of our de. nominational history; but its very best work is yet to be done in its continually widening and richer fields of religious thought and culture, and in the more thorough development, not only of the intellectual faculties, but also of the best and noblest moral sentiments, together with a corresponding growth into the spiritual life which will enable all true

LETTER FROM OHIO. NORTH HAMPTON, O., Dec. 4, 1884. MRS. MANFord:

I first came across the MAGAZINE While visiting a friend in Indiana. I did not believe very much in the doctrine of final salvation of all men at that time, but somehow I liked the MAGAZINE. My friend gave me a copy to bring home. In the meantime I heard Rev. Carlton preach a few sermons at Whitesville, Ind. This gave me an earnest desire to become more familiar with the doctrine of Universalism. After returning home I read carefully that copy of the MAGAZINE. But I was with it, like the boy who had eaten the peach, I wanted another to hold it down. So I sent for some back numbers, finally subscribed and expect to read it for years to come. Not particular for its opposition to the dying belief of "endless torments," but there are so many articles in it thousands should read and understand, even if Universalism is "too sweet" to mix with their medicine-endless misery. While I am not a member of the Universalist Church I must say they have the very best of literature. Your Dunkard friend,

W. W. BARNHART.

THE CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER This church has unanimously invited Rev. Charles Conklin, of Chelsea, Mass., to become its pastor and he has accepted the invitation. This is the way to invite a pastor. Now let the church and parish

unanimously sustain him and co-operate with him in real earnest, and pastor and people will be prosperous and happy in the new relation.

LOVE.

True love is the ripe fruit of life. To know its real worth, and to feel its power, is to become truly wise. All the wealth in the world will not buy a single sympathetic heart-throb, nor one ray of tenderness from those who are indifferent to us. Mr. George Weatherly has beautifully compared love to the ivy, in the following lines which we commend to all for their beauty and tenderness:

True love is like the ivy bold,
That clings each day with firmer hold;
That groweth on through good and ill,
And 'mid the tempest clingeth still.
What though the walls on which it climbs
Have lost the grace of former times,
Will then the ivy loose its hold,
Forget the sunny days of old?
Nay, rather it will closer cling
With loving clasp, remembering
That it had hardly lived at all
Without the kindly shelt'ring wall.

True love is like the ivy bold,
That clings each day with firmer hold;
That groweth on through good and ill,
And 'mid the tempest clingeth still.
True love is like the ivy green,
That ne'er forgetteth what hath been,
And so, till life itself be gone,
Until the end it clingeth on.

What though the tree where it may cling
Shall hardly know another spring?
What though its boughs be dead and bare?
The twining ivy climbeth there,
And clasps it with a firmer hold,
With stronger love than that of old,
And lends it grace it never had

When time was young and life was glad.
True love is like the ivy green,
That ne'er forgetteth what hath been,
And so, till life itself be gone,
Until the end it clingeth on.

PERE HYACINTHE.

T. H. T.

This great reformed preacher of Paris who a few years ago left the Roman Catholic church, has lately been in Chicago and preached. His theme was

but, so far as I know, experience makes only one thing plain: that a man's only safety is in doing right.' It was a great truth familiarly uttered, and it was a truth which went home, because it brought out clearly the fact that where different courses of action are open, the only question is, Which course is right? Policy is man's thought about the wisest thing to do; principle is God's thought about the best thing to do. Half the troubles in life come because men lack courage at the critical point; they believe thoroughly in doing right, but when they come to a place where the moral aspect is not the only aspect of a question, and where very grave results may follow action, they lack the courage to trust themselves entirely to principle, and endeavor to find a course which experience and policy will justify. It is safe to say that wherever troubles come to a man who always does the right thing fearlessly at the right time, he is wholly spared those embarrassments and entanglements which beset the paths of those who try to follow principle with the aid of policy. Men have made footpaths through life in every direction, and he who attempts to follow them will find himself hourly and endlessly perplexed; God has struck a solid highway, more lasting than the old Roman roads, along which every man may travel, not without clouds and storms, but free from the danger of losing his path, and sure to reach the end of his journey in safety.

The whole wisdom of life lies simply in doing the thing which is right, and letting God look after the consequences. The wisest man sees but a little distance, and sees that distance very imperfectly; God sees the end from the beginning. The wisest man goes astray, with Solomon and Bacon, and falls into abysses from which the man of far less knowledge, but of simple rectitude, is preserved. In every crisis, do the thing which is right, if you have to do it with your eyes

blinded and with the consciousness that you are putting your whole fortune in the scale. You are not casting your destiny into a lottery, full of chance as the future may seem to be, but putting your fate into the hands which sustain the universe."

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE

WEST.

We regret to inform those who have ordered this book for a Christmas present to some friend, that owing to a delay in receiving the picture of self from the engravers, and the rush of work that presses on printers and book-binders as the holidays approach, it will not be ready until a few days after New Year's. It is now in the hands of the binders. In the meantime, friends, send in your ordersfirst come first served. Already there are a goodly number of orders waiting to be filled. We hope they will not have to wait many days longer.

LOMBARD UNIVERSITY, In spite of the hard times, continues to prosper in all its departments. The attendance is growing. The revenues and endowments are increasing and the usefulness of the school is greater than ever.

The improvements on the buildings and grounds-the added work on the Ladies' Hall, etc., the increase in the faculty by the addition of two new professors show the steady progress the university is making in all directions.

The Theological Department is unexpectedly prosperous. Professor J. Clarence Lee is giving the best satisfaction, and adding great strength to the faculty.

The attendance is encouraging, and every term brings new students to the work.

THE NEXT TERM, in all departments, begins January 5, 1885. Communications should be addressed to the President, or Rev. Everett L. Conger, General Agent, Galesburg, Ill.

Rev. Richard Eddy, D. D., is the author of this valuable book, one of the most interesting and useful which has issued from the Universalist press. It is the product of a twenty-five year's search for material. It covers the period from 1636 to 1800. It traces the dawn of Universalism in America from that early time in different minds, through John Murray and his work, to Ballou and his work. It gives a leaf in the great history of America, which every Universalist and every scholarly mind of every denomination, ought to read. It is important to the religious history of America and throws light upon the question of why Universalism is working into so much of the theology of the modern orthodox churches. It has been leaven in the lump for 250 years, slowly but surely leavening the whole lump. This book ought to be widely read. It contains 544 pages and

We clip the following from the Grinnell Independent over the signature of F. P. B. The encouragement comes too late friend Brewer, for already the MAGAZINE has decided to go back to the old order of ph-th-is-ic (tizic) spelling, in order to make common words look familiar to our readers. Long enough have we been told that we employed poor proof-readers!

ANOTHER RECRUIT TO SPELLING REFORM. MANFORD'S MAGAZINE, a monthly of Chicago, advocating the interests of the Universalist church, makes no boast or mention of its improved orthography, but it prints the words infinit and doctrin without the superfluous e, and spels profecy, fenomenal, and filosophy according to the new rule. The Universalist magazine is truly orthodox in its proof-reading.

Step by step the reform advances. Such changes as the abuv hav the authority of scholars. It is now in order for printers and managers of the press to adopt them, if and when they wil. The reading public has its whims, but wil not take offense at judicious changes. Indeed experience has alredy proved that the omitting of a silent e at the end of many words, as is practist by the Chicago Tribune, is hardly notist in print, altho helping plainly to make the spelling orderly and regular.

CLUB RATES FOR 1885. For a Club of five we will send the MAGAZINE one year at $1.00 each, and a fifty cent book from our list, or 50cts. worth of pamphlets and a free copy of the MAGAZINE to the solicitor. For 10 names at $1.00 each, in addition to the free copy, we will give the solicitor a $1.00 book. For 15 subscribers, $2.00 worth of books and a free copy to the solicitor; and for 20 subscribers, in addition to the free copy, $3.00 worth of books to the solicitor. This is an offer that should be readily accepted, and we trust

our friends will send in the names. First come first served.

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY

REASONS

For believing in the Salvation of all mankind, by Rev. E. Manford, is now reduced from 25c. to 20c. single copy, 8 for $1.00, 1 doz. $1.25. This little book is just the kind to put into the hands of those who think we have no Bible proofs for the great salvation of all mankind. It is an excellent Sunday-school book, for it makes Bible readers as well as thinkers and reasoners.

PRICES OF BOOKS REDUCED Through the holidays. All books in our published list except Twenty-five Years in the West, ($1.50) will be offered as follows: Manford and Sweeney's Discussion, $1.00.

Good Will Songs (church singing,) $5.00 per doz.

Adams and Chapin's Hymn Book, over 1,000 hymns, .50cts.

Cobb's Commentary, $2.00; and all others at close margins.

ONLY FIFTY CENTS.

To those who wish to put into the hands of their neighbors and friends good reading, we will send twenty copies of back numbers of different volumes of the MAGAZINE to one address or twenty dif ferent post offices for fifty cents. Friends, is not this an easy way to do your share of the work in spreading the Gospel?

WRONG.-Occasionally subscribers order the MAGAZINE discontinued without

paying what they owe. Do such persons realize that they are doing themselves and us injustice? When they order it stopped they are in honor bound to pay up to date, and they must not expect us to erase their name from our book till they do so. Let this be remembered.