to hope for its realization. Hear him in the following touching and tender passage: "For my own part, I feel myself transported with the most ardent impatience to join the society of my two departed friends, your illustrious fathers, whose characters I greatly respected, and whose persons I sincerely loved. Nor is this my earnest desire confined to those excellent persons alone with whom I was formerly connected. I ardently wish to visit also those celebrated worthies, of whose honorable conduct I have heard and read much, or whose virtues I have myself commemorted in some of my writings. To this glorious assembly I am speedily advancing; and I would not be turned back in my journey, even on the assured condition that my youth, like that of Pelias, should be again restored. O, glorious day! when I shall retire from this low and sordid scene to associate with the divine assembly of departed spirits; and not with those only whom I have just now mentioned, but with my dear Cato, that best of sons and most valuable of men! It was my sad fate to lay his body on the funeral pile, when by the course of nature I had reason to hope he would have performed the same last office to mine. His soul, however, did not desert me, but still looked back on me in its flight to that happy mansion, to which he was assured I should one day follow him. If I seemed to bear his death with fortitude, it was by no means that I did not most sensibly feel the loss I had sustained. It was because I supported myself with the consoling reflection that we would not long be separated." But with all these evidences of the universal sentiment of a future existence, we discover in these evidences themselves the fact that much doubt, ignorance, uncertainty, and error mingled with these conceptions of immortality; and when we turn to the speculations and opinions of the most learned men of pagan nations, and see the deep anxiety, and the dreadful uncertainty which still hung about the doctrine, we shall be forced to conclude that the future life was with them rather a hope than a belief, a sentiment of the heart rather than a settled conviction of the mind-a circumstance which must convince us that the doctrine of immortality is not a demonstration of the human reason, but a demand of the human heart. It is the sou! longing for immortality, recoiling from the thought of annihilation, and choosing any life rather than eternal death. The soul longs for it, and has therefore retained in its grasp the golden glimmerings of sacred tradition; and although it was unable to demonstrate it, and could not free it from errors and difficulties, and could not even seize it with a firm, unyielding faith, yet it would not let it go. How strongly does all this prove to us that it was still needed that life and immortality should be brought to light in the Gospel! Bilor's Cablr. and can not fail to supply something to interest every member of the family. For the interest and value of the coming numbers of the year we have made ample provision. And now may we not confidently expect that our many friends will cooperate with us in endeavoring to secure a still wider circulation to our magazine? Will not our readers show this number to their neighbors, whether associated with our Own Church or not, and let them know that we are pub THE NEW VOLUME.-We present to our readers the greetings of a New Year. For twenty-six years the Repository has been visiting thousands of families in our land, diffusing, we doubt not, a wholesome, cheerful, and elevating influence over the household. It has always been the aim of the editors to make it in every sense a family magazine. During our own brief editorship this ideal has been constantly before us. To provide a pure and elevating literature, adapted to the wants of the Christian family, mingling the grace-lishing a family magazine that is free from many of ful and beautiful with the solid and substantial, has been our aim. A religious magazine, and yet endeav oring to present religion not in formal essays, but in the beautiful symmetry of actual life-a literature sanctified by the spirit of religion. How nearly we have approached our ideal the public must judge. Our increasing subscription list, the encouraging letters we receive from friends and subscribers, and the univer sally favorable notices which we find in our exchanges, encourage us to believe that our ideal is the true one, and to press forward toward a more complete realization of it. With these feelings we send forth the first number for 1867. We have aimed to make it a specimen number for the year. Its beautiful engravings, its pages of biography, of travel, of foreign scenes and customs, of home life, its tales of actual experience and real life, its truthful stories and lessons for the children, and its seven departments of editorial pennings and gleanings, certainly furnish a large variety, the faults and evils of some other periodicals, and which they can introduce into their families without fear? Every minister of our Church is an authorized agent for the Repository, and through him every friend can easily reach us with new or old subscriptions. ARTICLES ACCEPTED.-Just for Fun; William Farel; The Conquest of Jerusalem; The Influence of Creeds; The Little in Nature; Johnny's Faith; The Wonderful Family; Fifteen Minutes too Soon; Mid-Winter; Christ's Cup; Spring Colloquy; The Narrow Vale, and Strength out of Weakness. ARTICLES DECLINED.-The following we respectfully decline: Dante; The Little Missionary; A Walk on the Hights; The Old Man of the Mountain; Patty Penn; The Resurrection; A Sunday at Aunt Esther's: That Strange Poison Case; The Sinner's Refuge; The Laurel Crown; The Grave by the Sea; Twilight, and Rest for the Weary. THE LADIES REPOSITORY. THE TWENTY-SEVENTH VOLUME-1867. A General Literary and Religious Magazine FOR THE FAMILY. PUBLISHED BY POE & HITCHCOCK, CINCINNATI AND CHICAGO. ORDERS RECEIVED BY B. St. James Fry, St. Louis; J. P. Magee, Boston; Perkenpine & Higgins, Philadelphia; I. P. HE design of the Publishers in issuing this monthly is to furnish to the Christian public a pure and elegant literature, and it will be the aim of the Editor to present to our Christian families every month a magazine that the most careful and judicious parents may feel entirely safe in placing in the hands of every member of the family- -a magazine elegant, chaste, and pure, such as will cultivate the taste and ennoble all the aims of life. The REPOSITORY is a Christian family magazine, and it will be our constant aim to adapt it especially to the moral and literary wants of the family. It will still be printed on the FINEST CALENDERED PAPER. Each number will contain at least TWO ORIGINAL STEEL ENGRAVINGS, Executed in the highest style of the art by artists who stand at the head of their profession, such as Messrs. BUTTRE, HINSHELWOOD, WELLSTOOD, and HUNT, of New York; and F. E. JONES, of Cincinnati. Besides this feature, the Repository has a LARGE LIST OF ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTORS, which comprises many of the best writers of both prose and poetry in the country. We also have some new names of sterling value to add to this list for next year. The best English magazines will be laid under contribution for selected matter; and we have made arrangements for first-class translations from the French and German. We propose the widest range and the greatest variety possible in the literary matter of our pages, Essays, Disquisitions, Tales, Adventures from real life, Biographical and Literary Sketches, Poems, and papers on Practical Utility. Nor shall we avoid the grave questions of Science, History, and Religion. TERMS: THREE DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS PER VOLUME. The Publishers feel themselves compelled to continue these terms for another year. The cost of publishing the Repository is now about three times as much as when the subscription price was Two Dollars. At the above price nothing more will be done than merely covering the cost of publication. We appeal, then, to our brethren in the ministry, to our readers, contributors, and friends of all classes, to stand by us, and join with us in one strong rally for the Repository. NOW IS THE TIME TO SUBSCRIBE. Do not fail to renew your own subscription; and call also upon your neighbors. SUBSCRIBE CARLY. We want to know how many to publish. Hand the money to your Pastor, who will forward it for you; or send it direct to the Publishers and Agents named above. THE principal Companies making Sewing-Machines are Wheeler & Wilson, I. M. Singer & Co., and Grover & Baker, The sales of these Companies for three months, ending June 10, 1866, as per sworn reports to Elias Howe, jr.-to whom they all pay a license-were: By WHEELER & WILSON By I. M. Singer & Co... 13,085 6,485 By Grover & Baker.. Showing Wheeler & Wilson's Sales to be more than double those of any other Company. TESTIMONIALS. 6,331 METHODIST BOOK CONCERN, 200 MULBERRY STREET, NEW YORK. DEAR BROTHER,-Being in constant receipt of inquiries from our brethren, respecting Sercing-Machines, with requests to recommend and purchase, we have, in conjunction with some lady friends, carefully and thoroughly examined the various machines of practical value for Family Sewing, and find those made by the WHEELER & WILSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY to fully combine the essentials of a good instrument, and such as we can confidently recommend. J. BENJ. EDWARDS, WM. A. Cox. ABEL STEVENS, JAMES FLOY, DANIEL WISE, THOS. CARLTON, With best wishes, your brethren, We have personally examined the various machines before the public, with an anxious desire to place before our readers reliable information. As the result of such examination we unhesitatingly recommend WHEELER & WILSON'S SEWINGMACHINE as THE Machine for family use. BISHOP C. KINGSLEY. For economy of power, ease of management, variety of adaptation, and speed of execution, the WHEELER & WILSON MACHINE, no doubt, surpasses all others for family use. BISHOP D. W. CLARK. Seven years ago we furnished ourselves with this indispensable domestic comfort, and have ever since heard its music in our home. We give WHEELER & WILSON the preference above all others. J. M. REID, Editor Western Chr. Advocate. EVERY MACHINE WARRANTED FOR THREE YEARS. WARDED THE HIGHEST PREMIUM AT THE TORLD'S FAIR, ALSO AT THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE, NEW YORK. The Award of the First Premium was given to the Wheeler & Wilson Machine, the Committee stating that "This has been the uniform award for this Machine throughout the world for several years, and we think no disinterested person will dispute its justice and propriety." Send for a Circular to WM. SUMNER & CO. CINCINNATI, PITTSBURG, WHEELING, LOUISVILLE, GENERAL LITERARY AND RELIGIOUS MAGAZINE FOR THE FAMILY. ACH number contains sixty-four superroyal octavo pages, double column; printed on the finest calendered paper. Also two original steel engravings, besides an elegant Title Page for the January number, also engraved on steel. For amount and quality of reading matter, for mechanical execution and illustrations, the Repository will compare favorably with any other magazine published in the country. Terms: Three Dollars and Fifty Cents per annum, Invariably in advance. No Subscription received for less than one entire Volume. This periodical is published monthly at Cincinnati and New York. All traveling preachers of the Methodist Episcopal Church are authorized agents. Cash in advance will be expected in all cases. This can be paid to any of our authorized agents, who can order it charged to their account, if not convenient to remit. All communications containing remittances or subscriptions should be addressed to the Publishers; those designed for publication to the Editor, at Cincinnati. POE & HITCHCOCK, Cincinnati. RETROSPECT OF RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE...... vania. can Flower de Luce-A Summer in Leslie Goldthwaite's LifeThe Giraffe Hunter-Out of Town-The Poems of Alfred B. Street-Alice's Adventures in Wonderland-The Children of the Frontier-The Merchant of Berlin-AmeriLeaves-Personal Recollections of Distinguished Generals-Reading Without Tears-Annals of a Quiet Neighborhood-Laboulaye's Fairy Book-The Sanctua ry-Principia Latina, Part II-Early Crowned-Christmas Times in the Crocus Family-Only a Penny-Robin Ranger's Stories About Beasts-Little Doorkeeper Library-New Hymn and Tune Book-The Old Helmet-The Story of Martin Luther-Cripple Dan-The School-Girl in France-A Ray of Light--The Draytons and the Dayenants-The Brownings-The Brewer's Family-Stories from Life which the Chaplain Told-The Two New-Year's Days--The Christmas Holly-Miscellaneous-Catalogues, Circulars, etc. EDITOR'S STUDY.... Studies on the Future Life-Second Paper. .123 .125 .128 The Repository-Our Engravings-Articles Accepted- POSTAGE-TO regular subscribers, paid in advance, six cents per quarter. |