The large number of auxiliary societies upon the roll of the American Bible Society shows the importance of this branch of the work. Some of them have a whole State committed to their oversight, others only have a single town, while the majority of them are county organizations, with depositories in several portions of their fields.

The efficiency of the Parent Society in a great measure depends on the efficiency of these local societies, as not only the supply of their own fields, but also the collection of funds from churches and individuals is intrusted to them.

Many of these auxiliaries have a noble history, and are still as active as in the first years of their organization. It is from them that the chief gifts credited to auxiliaries have come. It is by them that the work recorded on other pages of this report has been done. They have combined local interests with the general work, and have thus contributed towards the supply of the more destitute parts of the home field, and the dissemination of the Scriptures in foreign lands. No better agency can be devised than well-organized and efficient auxiliaries covering the entire country.

But while too much cannot be said in praise of all such auxiliaries, the Board has again to record the fact that many of the societies upon our roll have done little or

nothing, either for their own fields or for the general work. Most of them have only kept a few Bibles and Testaments for sale, and made no effort whatever to seek out and supply even their destitute neighbors.

It was this inefficiency which led the Board of Managers, several years ago, to adopt a system of colportage which would bring the Scriptures to the homes which were neglected by those who had pledged themselves to see that no family within their bounds was without a Bible. While but little colportage has been done during the past year, the Board is only waiting for the necessary means to resume and enlarge this much needed work, and now appeals directly to the churches, which the auxiliaries have failed to reach, for stated collections for Bible work.

This does not at all interfere with the operations of the active auxiliaries, nor change their relations to the Parent Society. But, while the effort will be made to secure from the churches, where the auxiliaries are not supplying the destitute, the means necessary for home colportage, the Managers would earnestly urge upon the contributing auxiliaries the necessity for securing more numerous and larger collections from their churches, so that the foreign work and the Sunday school supply may be continued and extended.

MISSIONARY AND BENEVOLENT WORK.

The Managers have reason to fear that many persons regard the American Bible Society as only a great publishing house, restricting itself to the Scriptures, and having no need of benevolent contributions for the prosecution of its work. The sale of the Bible at cost is admitted to be a public benefit, placing it within the reach of all; but this is supposed to bring back, year by year, nearly the amount that has been expended. With such views, it is no marvel that so many churches neglect to take an annual collection for the Bible Society, and those which do, in many cases, make it the smallest of all their offerings.

The Board of Managers, therefore, call special attention to the missionary and benevolent aspects of the Society's

work, with the hope that a new interest may be awakened and a proper estimate formed of its requirements.

It is a cause of unfeigned gratitude to God, that the churches are now manifesting so much concern for the unevangelized nations. Year by year they are increasing their contributions, and sending more and more missionaries into the field. But they seem to have forgotten that this involves a corresponding enlargement of the work of the American Bible Society, and a corresponding increase in its expenditures. Did the churches fully realize this, the Managers are persuaded that there would be a proportionate increase in their gifts.

The entire amount received from churches, individuals, and auxiliaries for the benevolent work, was only $81,300 34; while the cash remittances to the foreign field were $150,308 68, and in addition to this, books to the value of $23,258 36; making a total of $173,567 04, or twice as much as all the gifts received from the living.

The following details of these remittances and consignments of books will show how extensive and far-reaching is the Foreign Missionary Department of the Society's work: To the Agency in China, including books.

the Levant

$23,541 58

But in addition to this, important and costly work has been going on at the Bible House in the translation of the Scriptures, and in carrying through the press versions designed for use in foreign lands.

It is no easy matter to put into circulation the Scriptures, whether they are published for the Society in foreign lands or sent from New York to distant missionary fields. A large proportion of the above expenditure is required for the direct missionary labors of colporteurs employed to bring to the people among whom they labor a knowledge of the Scriptures, and persuade them to possess and read them.

This is one reason why the returns from these expenditures are comparatively so small. The report of the Treasurer shows that only $33,173 88 was received from foreign Agencies from sale of books, and $4,528 84 from other foreign correspondents; making a total of $37,702 72. This shows that it is no money-making enterprise in which the Society is engaged. Like all other societies engaged in missionary work, the results are moral and not material. The object is not merely to dispose of books, but to give the blessed message which THE BOOK contains, in permanent form, to those who know it not, that they may know, believe, and be saved.

Measured by these results, the work of the American Bible Society has been crowned with such success, as should stimulate to greater endeavor.

The Society cannot curtail its foreign work. Advancement and not retrogression has characterized all its past history; at the same time the necessity for larger expenditures in the home field is imperative. The masses in the cities must not be left without the Scriptures; the scattered homes in this vast country must not be left without the Bible. Families are multiplying, not merely by natural increase, but also by the wave of immigration which is rolling in upon us. To keep pace with this increase, an annual distribution of a million copies of Bibles, Testaments, and Portions, is no longer an adequate supply. The work of the auxiliaries must be supplemented by the direct work

of the Parent Society; but the churches and the friends of the Bible must supply the means.

As seen above, the benevolent income from the living, the past year was wholly inadequate to meet the expenditures for the foreign work alone, and hence the Managers have been able to do but little direct work in the home field. The retrenchment in colportage which was begun in the previous year had to be continued, and, finally, this branch of work had to be altogether suspended. The entire expenditure for this department of work was only $8,918 33; this includes salaries of colporteurs and the value of books given away to destitute families and individuals. In addition to this, books to the value of $18,300 29 were donated to auxiliary societies, churches, individuals, Sunday schools, missionary societies, etc.; books issued to life members and life directors amounted to $8,656 66; discounts on sales, $24,737 14.

It was only the unusual amount received from legacies during the year which enabled the Managers to meet even the expenditures for the foreign field. Gifts from auxiliaries, churches, and individuals, were altogether insufficient for this department of work alone. Although there is occasion for rejoicing that so many remembered the Society by their bequests, yet this is always such an uncertain source of income, that no definițe reliance can be placed upon it. Doubtless, as in the years that are past, a considerable amount will be received from this source, yet a careful estimate of the necessary expenditures for the present year, shows that at least $300,000 in gifts, besides legacies, will be necessary for the work before us. This may seem to be a large amount, but when we consider the liberal things which are devised by all the leading denominations for home and foreign missions, aggregating millions, it must be evident that it is only a very moderate demand. The condition of our own country calls for it, as well as the healthful expansion of the work in foreign lands.

The Bible should be placed in tens of thousands of Sunday schools, as multitudes of children in these schools