General Charles H. Howard, of the _Advance_, owing to a recent attack of pneumonia, will, under the advice of his physician, spend the remainder of the winter, and the spring months, at the South. It was natural for General Howard, from his former connection with the American Missionary Association as its Western Secretary, to take a special interest in its work at the South. He has planned, with our hearty cooperation, to visit a number of the institutions and churches under our charge, and to inform himself and the readers of the _Advance_ as to the condition and progress of our work among the freedmen. The Association heartily welcomes all such friendly observation and criticism. General Howard is now at Savannah, Ga., and, after a trip to Florida, will return to visit our institutions farther West in the spring. He will publish letters on the condition of Southern society, and the colored population especially, with whose uplifting he feels the warmest sympathy. PAYING THE DEBT. We are rejoiced to be able to report cheering progress in the payment of our debt. Our last statement, in the December number of the MISSIONARY, announced the payment of $30,416, thus bringing the debt down from $93,232.99 in 1876, to $62,816.90, as reported at the Annual Meeting in 1877. It also gave a list of pledges of $5,000, reducing the balance to $57,816.90. Pledges and payments have been made since that date, which reduce the amount to a little below $50,000. The spirit manifested by our friends in this movement, may be gathered from extracts from the letters we have received. A liberal friend in New England writes: “I have thought for a long time of your Society, and of its just call upon me for aid, additional to what I do when I send you our church collection. * * I will soon send you my check for $1,000” [it has been received] “for your debt, and I will add another thousand during 1878, conditioned upon the total wiping out of the debt in 1878.” A friend in Hartford, Ct. says: “I have from time to time received reports of the doings and wants of your Association with much interest. You may count me in as one of twenty-five, for a thousand dollars for liquidating your debt, and I hope the full number may soon appear.” Another Connecticut friend writes: “After getting through with the very busy month, and inspecting the balance sheets, I conclude to anticipate a little on the strength of my hopes, and promise you five hundred dollars toward the debt. I wish I could see my way clear to do more.” A gentleman in Springfield, Mass., whose “Unabridged” contributions we have often had occasion to acknowledge, sends us his check for $500. “A worshipper at Indian Orchard,” remits $500.