One is, they afford the young people more real pleasure. The happiness from rejoicing over the good of others is an exercise of the purest affection and the finest feeling of the human heart. It is akin to the blessedness and happiness of God himself. However gratifying a gift may be to the receiver, nevertheless it puts him to a disadvantage. The gift-taker becomes under obligation to the gift-maker. The receiver’s joy in a gift terminates in himself. It has a mixture of dependence and submission in it. But the giver is placed under no obligation to the receiver. Moreover, he inevitably ministers to his own well-being, though it may be unconsciously. “Every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.” Another advantage is that there is more virtue in giving than in receiving. The virtue of receiving consists in regard for one’s self; the virtue of giving in a proper regard for others. There is also more self-denial in giving than in receiving, and self-denial is the essence of virtue. The receiver has no natural habit or inclination to counteract, but the giver must overcome many obstacles which require superior virtue. The more young people do to develop the attribute of virtue, the more real pleasure they are sure to experience. And then again, God promises to reward the giver but not the receiver. This is a great consideration, and may well be taken into account by all teachers and parents. It is a good thing to make the holidays memorable and happy by giving tokens to young people, but not so blessed as to bring them into an attitude where they will be sure of Heavenly rewards. Of the few things which God has promised to reward men for in this life, giving is one. “Blessed is he that considereth the poor * * * he shall be blessed upon the earth.” “He that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he,” and best of all, God means to reward the liberal giver more fully at the resurrection of the just. By the favor of Providence we have ample opportunity to give to humane and missionary enterprises. At this season, when plans for celebrating the holidays are being matured, would it not be wise for those having responsibility for training the young, to embrace the time to teach them in their abundance of gift-taking and gift-making to provide for themselves “bags that wax not old, a treasure in the Heavens that faileth not.” * * * * * REVIEW AND OUTLOOK. A Paper read at the National Council at St. Louis, Nov. 13th. BY REV. M. E. STRIEBY, D. D. I intend, without preface, to review the work of the American Missionary Association for the last three years, and to give an outlook on its future duties. I. The Review.