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 the advertiser and subscriber. THE INDEPENDENT ought, because of its merit alone, to be taken by at least 100,000 more people than now subscribe for it, and if any person who sees this advertisement would like to make its acquaintance, he can do so by sending a postal-card request for a free specimen copy; or, if he prefers, he can subscribe for any length of time from one month up to five years, as per rates below.