PREFACE TO THE THIRD VOLUME. In making our Third Half-Yearly call upon our numerous Friends, it becomes us to offer them a few words of greeting. And first, as this is the season of good-will, when even enmities and jealousies find their graves, and kindly emotions spring up in their place-let us tender our hearty thanks and our best wishes to those whose Friendship has led us on to a position of remarkable prosperity. If now, people forgive their enemies, and banish the memory of wrong in the rejoicings and the festivities of Good Old Christmas-time, what may we say to our Friends that shall sufficiently express the gratitude we feel, and the benediction we would pronounce? May their Christmas be merry, their New Year be happy, their lives be peaceful, and their deaths be triumphant! It will give great pleasure to those who are interested in our welfare, to know that Our FRIEND still increases in popularity, and is daily searching his way to new Fire-sides, and contributing his aid to enliven, instruct, and elevate additional Family Circles. The average circulation of THE FAMILY FRIEND from the commencement has now reached about EIGHTY THOUSAND. Believing that the still more extensive circulation of THE FRIEND would materially promote the happiness and the improvement of those to whom the Work is yet unknown, the Editor solicits from his Friends a general recommendation at the present season. In the midst of festive groups, when Friends have assembled from far and near-let a kindly word be said for THE FAMILY FRIEND, whose future efforts to supply healthful and profitable entertainment are intended to surpass what has hitherto been accomplished. The present Volume contains, appropriate to the season, an original CHRISTMAS STORY-Frank Meanwell, or Mistaken Purposes. The Tale was designed by its Author to supply appropriate reading for the Christmas-tide-a love of poetic teaching at this season, through the agency of Truth in the vestments of Fiction, having been widely developed. The Editor believes that the Christmas Story contained in this Volume is not inferior to any one hitherto published in the special shape of a Christmas Book. It is a Tale that will invite a struggle of tears and smiles; and finally leave the latter triumphant. In illustration of the cheapness of THE FRIEND, it may be remarked that the CHRISTMAS STORY to which we have referred, amounts in matter to more than one and a half of the Christmas Books usually sold at FIVE SHILLINGS; but, in addition to this Tale, which is complete in the Volume, the purchaser receives about THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHT pages of varied and highly useful matter-the whole at half the price of the ordinary Christmas Books. Nor are the printing and external embellishments inferior to Works of higher price and pretensions. THITAMA The Contents of the present Volume will be found to be quite as varied and useful as those of its predecessors. And in the Fourth Volume new subjects will be introduced, with the view of keeping up the interest of our readers, by the constant introduction of variety To one feature of importance the Editor would draw particular attention. The Three Volumes of THE FAMILY FRIEND now published, will be found, upon close examination, to contain a mass of useful matter, authentic and reliable, such as is rarely to be met with. And this matter is so carefully INDEXED, that the reader may refer to the most trifling parts of it with the greatest facility. To render THE FRIEND still more valuable as a work of Domestic Reference, the Editor intends, at the completion of the Fourth Volume, to issue, without extra charge, a GENERAL INDEX TO THE CONTENTS OF THE FOUR VOLUMES, so that the inquirer, instead of having to refer to two, three, or four Indexes, in search of any particular information, will be able to trace, at a single glance, the whole of the articles upon this subject contained in the Work. Thus THE FAMILY FRIEND, as well as being a Work of periodical entertainment, may take the place of an ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DOMESTIC MATTERS. It is desirable that those who intend to employ the Work in this permanent usefulness, should complete their sets for the purpose. In conclusion, the Editor invites attention and good-will for THE FAMILY TUTOR, a Work suggested by the many inquiries addressed to the Editor upon Educational Topics, which he found himself unable to treat of in THE FRIend. THE TUTOR will be devoted to Elementary Instruction in all the branches of Useful Knowledge. The difference between the two Publications is happily expressed by their respective titles; and as the name and the pretensions of THE FRIEND have been well sustained, so, we believe, THE TUTOR will be found to be precisely what its name implies-that it will realise, as far as can possibly be accomplished in print, the advantages of a PRIVATE TUTOR to every reader a TUTOR whose teachings shall be comprehensible, kind, and lively, making the acquirement of knowledge a PLEASURE, not a TASK. WORK-TABLE ERRATA.-See Corrections of the 69th and 103rd Rows of the Octagon Cover for an Easy Chair, at p. 167; and of the 29th, 41st, and 185th Rows, at p. 287. |