its readers discussions upon all religious questions,
many clergymen and laymen seeking its pages for a freer and fuller
discussion than any denominational paper will grant. Having
thirty-two folio pages, it has space to give all the important
religious intelligence; and to aid it in doing so, it has paid corps
of correspondents scattered all over the world. The matter of expense
is not considered in its aim to give its readers the most valuable
discussions and most trustworthy facts by the ablest and most popular
writers.

For thirty years past the design of THE INDEPENDENT has been to
publish the ablest and best family paper in the world, and it now
occupies that position. Aside from the religious element of THE
INDEPENDENT, its literary attractiveness is unequaled. A glance at
the names of our general contributors, which will be sent to any
address upon application, will convince any one that the literary
merit of THE INDEPENDENT is of the first class. Its department
devoted to book reviews is probably better and fuller than can be
found in this country, and is only equaled by that of the _Academy_
and _Athenaeum_ of London.

It has altogether twenty-two different departments, nearly all of
which are edited by or contributed to by specialists. These
departments are: Editorials, Fine Arts, Music, Science, Religious
Intelligence, Missions, School and College, News of the Week, Hymn
Notes, the Sunday-school, Legal, Sanitary, Pebbles, Biblical
Research, Farm and Garden, Insurance, Weekly Market Reports,
Financial and Commercial, Dry Goods, Dry Goods Quotations,
Personalities.

THE INDEPENDENT has thirty-two pages; the other weeklies have from
twelve to, not over, twenty-four. At $3.00 per year--its subscription
price--THE INDEPENDENT costs about six cents per week, which almost
any person or family in the United States can well afford for a paper
which gives them such wonderful returns. The cost each week for
contributed articles alone ranges from $250.00 to $800.00, which is
probably two or three times as great as that expended by any similar
weekly religious paper in the country.

THE INDEPENDENT rigidly excludes from its advertising columns
advertisements of a doubtful character, or any by which, in the
opinion of its managers, subscribers might not receive an equivalent
for their money. In consequence, its advertising columns are sought
after by the very best class of advertisers, to the satisfaction both
of