THE JOY OF THE DWELLING.-That picture of domestic life tells its own story. It is all sunshine. It is so with the father. What though his features are bronzed by exposure and his hands hardened by daily toil! there is sunlight in his heart, joy in his dwelling. That mother-joy glances from her eye-pride exults upon her lip. And as for the little fellow-just taking his early lessons in horsemanship-with whip in handsurely it is all sunshine with him-the joy of the dwelling, himself full of joy.

How these little pictures charm us back to the scenes of early childhood! Do they not win back childhood's joyous smile to our care-worn and weather-beaten lips? Do they not win back childhood's tenderness, and love, and purity to our soiled and frigid hearts? The man who has not a warm side in his heart toward the little ones, is "fit for treason, stratagems, and spoils." Richter says the man is to be shunned who does not love the society of children. Henry IV was passionately fond of them, and delighted in their gambols and little caprices. One day, when crawling round his room on all fours on his hands and knees, with the Dauphin on his back and the other children about him urging the King to gallop in imitation of a horse, an embassador suddenly entered and surprised the royal family in the midst of their fun. Henry, without rising to his feet, asked, "Have you children, Mr. Embassador?" "Yes, sire." "In that case I proceed with the sport," replied the King.

Mr. Coleridge says call not that man wretched, who, whatever else he suffers as to pain inflicted, pleasure denied, has a child for whom he hopes and on whom he dotes. Poverty may grind him to the dust, obscurity may cast its darkest mantle over him, the song of the gay may be far from his own dwelling, his face may be unknown to his neighbors, and his voice may be unheeded among those with whom he dwells-even pain may rack his joints and sleep leave his pillow-but he has a gem with which he would not part for wealthdefying computation, for fame filling the world's ear, for the luxury of that highest wealth, or for the sweetest sleep that ever sat upon mortal's eye.

NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS.-We had noted a number of passages from various correspondents for our Table, but the inexorable law of the types has little respect for either editor or correspondent. They "won't budge

an inch."

RENEWED ACTIVITY IN THE BOOK CONCERN.-When the war opened upon the nation little less than entire stagnation of business was expected till it should close. This was especially apprehended of benevolent operations, Church periodicals, and books. We are happy to witness a decided advance in business activity in the Western Book Concern. Among the evidences of this are several volumes just issued from the press, and others which will soon be forthcoming. We trust our brethren will not fail to notice them and help them into a wide circulation. Our Literary Notices

make mention of three new volumes; each has its sphere and adaptation. Brethren, please remember them in ordering books.

WHOLESALE PLAGIARISM OF THEOLOGY.-We have known for some time that the treatise on theology, by Dr. Wakefield, was largely drawn from the Elements of Theology, by Dr. T. N. Ralston. In fact, whole paragraphs, and even chapters, a little disguised, taken from that work almost from beginning to end, mark the treatise of Mr. Wakefield as a wholesale and unmitigated plagiarism. As such it is a fraud upon the publishers and the public. Messrs. Carlton & Porter, we are certain, have no intention of becoming a party to this fraud, and will, therefore, at once expunge the work from their list of publications. This is not a question of interest between the Eastern and Western Book Concerns. The financial sufferer is Dr. Ralston himself, the circulation of whose honest book is curtailed. We had hoped the occasion to make this exposure would not occur, and we now make it with grief and mortification; but duty to the public and the Church is imperative.

DEMISE OF REV. LEROY SWORMSTEDT.-The death of this eminent man has already been announced in our Church journals. For twenty-four years he was identified with the Western Book Concern as Assistant or Principal Agent. His identification was not merely official and technical, but one of heart, and life, and soul. All his thoughts were bound up in it; all his energies were consecrated to its development. And so long as this institution shall continue to stand as a power in the Church, so long will the name of Leroy Swormstedt live as one of its founders and wise master-builders. Before the General Conference of 1860 he had become too much broken in health to continue longer in efficient service, and he received honorable release. Since then he has been upon the superannuated list-continuing gradually to fail till at length, on the 28th of August last, he ceased to live on earth.

Though partially withdrawn from the public attention the few past years, yet his departure is severely felt and widely deplored in the Church. His remains now sleep, with those of many other wise and good men, both lay and clerical, whose names are identified with the history of Methodism in the West, in that

beautiful suburban resting-place of the dead—the Wesleyan Cemetery.

Upon the recommendation of the Western Book Committee, and upon the sole responsibility of the editor, the portrait of Mr. Swormstedt appeared in the Ladies' Repository for August, 1858.

A remarkable mortality has attended the Cincinnati Conference this year. Mr. Swormstedt was the eighth of its members that died, and the day following his death a ninth-Rev. Clinton W. Sears-was added to the list. Mr. Sears had occupied important posts and was widely known in the Church. He was in the early prime of his manhood.