We are from time to time reminded that the old abolition friends of the A. M. A. are rapidly passing away. They will soon all be gone. There was something in their friendship that challenges our admiration. They gave the Association such a hearty support that there could be no question but that prayer and gifts went together. So also they have in many instances shown the wisdom of giving generously during life. The recent death of Mr. Lewis S. Swezey, of Rockford, Ill., gives emphasis to these thoughts. He helped organize the Liberty Party, and was one of a few who first voted in the town of Rockford for Birney for President. Though his whole estate did not amount to more than $10,000, he gave to the Association a one thousand dollar bond in 1885, and another amounting to seven hundred and fourteen dollars in 1886. At his death he left the Association a life policy of $2,000, and $500 in his will. He made the A. M. A. his residuary legatee, from which our treasury will probably realize about $5,000. His sympathy for the colored people may be seen in the fact that one of the last acts of his life was to give a poor old colored woman in Rockford a hundred dollars to repair her house. When dying he said to his wife, “This seems like crossing the river,” and in response to the question, “How does it look on the other side?” replied, “Very bright, very bright.” And no wonder. He had laid up his treasures where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. Money given to the Lord during life is followed with no regrets at the dying hour. Were Christians thoroughly possessed of the conviction that such work as the A. M. A. is doing must be prosecuted and sustained as a religious duty, we believe their offerings would be far more generous than they are. A sense of duty as expressed in their gifts would be accompanied by a sense of delight. Our prayer is that the surviving old abolition friends may be long spared us, and that the places of those who have fallen may be speedily filled with worthy successors. * * * * * “It is with pleasure I assist you. I have made several of our young ladies life members during the past few years, to get them interested in the A. M. A. Anything I can do to help on the good work, be sure and call on me for, and I will do all I can for you.” “I think the placing of the work of the Association before individual church members is productive of good results, as I find that only those well informed of the Society’s needs contribute regularly and liberally to its support.” “We are to make a careful canvass of our congregation, with a view to increasing our missionary offerings, and securing a larger number of regular readers for our missionary magazine. Can you send us ten or a dozen copies of THE AMERICAN MISSIONARY to be used by our district visitors?”