12 



THE AMERICAN MONTHLY 



[January, 



the index will show that there is a con- 

 siderable amount of information in 

 that volume, in a condensed and read- 

 ily available form. 



To Subscribers. — This number of 

 the Journal is sent to all subscribers 

 of 1882. The post-ofhce regulations 

 allow subscribers who have paid up to 

 date, and who wish to discontinue tak- 

 ing their papers, to return them to the 

 publishers free of postage, in the orig- 

 inal wrappers. This saves the trouble 

 of writing a letter, and is the simplest 

 and surest way of stopping a sub- 

 scription. 



On the other hand, whoever takes 

 papers from the post-office becomes 

 legally responsible for the price of 

 subscription. Consequently, we shall 

 consider that those former subscribers 

 who do not return this number, desi''e 

 their subscriptions to continue through 

 the year. 



Many of our readers are affected 

 with the too common habit of procras- 

 tination, which leads them to defer 

 paying their subscriptions until late 

 in the year. We can assure them, con- 

 fidentially, that the habit is a very bad 

 one, and should be corrected. We 

 have to be a little indulgent, however, 

 when we reflect that their intentions 

 are good ; but we take occasion to re- 

 mind them about certain annually 

 recurring good resolutions, which 

 were adopted for the ninth time, only 

 a few weeks ago. 



Occasionally our confidence is gross- 

 ly abused, but not often. Last month, 

 for example, after the December num- 

 ber was out, a subscriber wrote on a 

 postal-card : " Stop my Journal." It 

 was a concise order, and we understood 

 it. But that subscriber has not paid 

 his dollar for 1882 yet! Of course 

 we do not care for the few paltry dol- 

 lars we lose in this way, but it is the 

 immorality of the thing that grieves 

 us. Just think of the wickedness of 

 such men ! Verily, money is " the root 

 of all evil." 



Sometimes we feel that a little 



evilness would be good for us, but our 

 better nature always prevails, and we 

 never get any. 



Since the above was written the 

 Journal has passed into the hands 

 of its new publishers. It is just pos- 

 sible that they also would like subscrib- 

 ers to pay promptly. We are glad of 

 the opportunity to speak a good word 

 for them thus early in the year. 



Change of Management. — The 

 editor takes pleasure in announcing 

 to his subscribers the change in the 

 business management of the Journal, 

 which, although effected since the De- 

 cember number was issued, has long 

 been contemplated. For various rea- 

 sons it is believed that the change will 

 commend itself to the readers. It re- 

 lieves the editor of a great amount of 

 work of a purely clerical nature, and 

 thus enables him to employ his time 

 in a more congenial, as well as a more 

 profitable manner, while it places the 

 Journal in the hands of those whose 

 experience as publishers insures care- 

 ful management, and attention to the 

 details of the business of any periodi- 

 cal in which they are interested. 



The Journal will hereafter be pub- 

 lished by the well-known publishers, 

 S. E. Cassino & Co., of Boston, to 

 whom all letters on business, — sub- 

 scriptions, orders for advertising, etc., 

 — should be addressed. 



The address of the editor will re- 

 main as heretofore. 



Editorial Perplexities. — One of 

 the greatest difficulties an editor has 

 to contend with is the different esti- 

 mates of published articles by readers 

 of different tastes. It is impossible 

 to please all. 



To show the great difference in 

 tastes, we have only to refer to a very 

 recent occurrence. A gentleman came 

 into the office, and incidentally, and 

 in a very friendly way, referred to the 

 "last number" as containing very lit- 

 tle matter that would be generally 



