DESCRIPTION—One of the oldest, strongest, best. POLICIES—Incontestable, non-forfeitable, definite cash surrender values. RATES—Safe, low, and participating or not, as desired. RISKS carefully selected. PROMPT, liberal dealing. GENERAL AGENTS AND CANVASSERS WANTED in desirable territory, to whom permanent employment and liberal compensation will be given. Address H. STOKES, President. H. Y. WEMPLE, Sec’y. J. L. HALSEY, 1st V.-P. S. N. STEBBINS, Act’y. H. B. STOKES, 2d V.-P. THE AMERICAN MISSIONARY. * * * * * VOL. XXXVII. DECEMBER, 1883. No. 12. * * * * * American Missionary Association. * * * * * We send this number of the MISSIONARY to some who do not receive it regularly, hoping they will find it of such interest, and the work it represents of so much concern, that they will be induced to become regular subscribers. The price is 50 cents. * * * * * _Fifty Gold Dollars._—One of the newly-elected members of our Executive Committee has placed in our treasury fifty gold dollars, given to him to be used in charity, at his discretion, by a friend in New Haven, who adopted this method of commemorating his fiftieth birthday. The example is a good one, and we hope there are scores of others who will follow it without necessarily waiting until they are fifty before doing so. * * * * * ANNUAL MEETING. The Annual Meeting of this Association, held in Brooklyn, will be remembered as one of special interest for several reasons: (1.) The work done during the year was unusually encouraging; and the reports of the committees on the several parts were discriminating and full. (2.) The financial exhibit, showing once more a surplus of receipts over expenditure, with, however, a falling off in the income from the living, was examined with candor and with warm recommendations for more liberal gifts. (3.) A topic of much interest to the Association and to an honored sister missionary society was considered at length in several papers, which we present to our readers in full, without, however, intending to hold the Association responsible for the individual views therein expressed. The great number of the reports, papers and addresses compels us to select and abridge, reserving some for publication in future numbers of the MISSIONARY or in the Annual Report. Papers relating to work for women will appear in the January number of the MISSIONARY, and the Sermon, as usual, will be found in the Annual Report. * * * * * ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS AT THE ANNUAL MEETING.