REFACE TO THE REVISED EDITION, 



Living issues have changing aspects The first edition 

 of " Our Country," which was prepared for the Ameri- 

 can Home Missionary Society when the author was its 

 representative in Ohio, appeared early in 1886, and most 

 of the book was written a year earlier. Although I en- 

 deavored to apph" to the subjects discussed fundamental 

 principles, which remain equally applicable to-day, the 

 statistical treatment of these living issues renders revis- 

 ion, after six years, quite essential to. the further useful- 

 ness of the book. Moreover the census of 1890 marks 

 the present as a favorable time for such revision. Al- 

 though important results of the census will not be avail- 

 able for many months and even for years to come, 

 the Superintendent, Hon. Robert P. Porter, has kindly 

 furnished me with much valuable information. 



The favorable reception accorded to the book would 

 seem to be sufficient reason for its revision. Perhaps it 

 may be of interest to state that in addition to the 130,000 

 copies which have passed into circulation, a large part, 

 if not the Avhole of the book, has been reprinted by the 

 daily press, prominent papers in the East, West, South 

 and in Canada, each having printed from one to three 

 chapters entire. Four chapters were re-published in Lon- 

 don and one in G-lasgow. The book has been translated 

 into one foreign language, and numerous propositions 

 have been received relative to translating it into others. 



I am devoutly thankful to God that he has used the 



