AMIDST wars and rumours of wars, whilst | the two leading nations of Western Europe are engaged in mortal strife—amidst the groans and cries of tens of thousands of wounded and dying men, and the tears and lamentations of countless numbers of bereaved women and children—from the thoughts of burning towns and villages, of forsaken homes, down-trodden fields, and general desolation—from the whole sickening spectacle of man engaged in destroying his fellow-man—it is pleasant to turn to the contemplation of any work and labour of love.

War, indeed, calls into exercise heroic virtues and tender and compassionate feelings and acts, which have perhaps never been more nobly displayed than during the present fearful struggle between Ger- many and Trance; but still the whole thing savours of blood, and although we may hope that, in the wisdom of God, the present evil is permitted only to bring about, as a result, a greater and progressive good, yet the evil is immediately present, while the good we cannot foresee, i But a few short months ago there were I around the coasts of France, as around j our own, life-boats, with able and willing I crews, ready at any moment to risk their own lives to save those of others cast away on their shores. Those boats, to be sure, remain; but, like only too many of the brave fellows who formed their crews, and who have since died in defence of their country, they are now but inert and life- less bodies from which the souls have fled, the crews who gave them life being called away for their country's defence, and being engaged in destroying the lives which under happier influences they would have risked their own to save—so essentially is the life-boat service a work of peace.

Fortunately our own country remains at peace, and its life-boat work is pursued as assiduously, and with the same success as hitherto. To be sure, the income of the Life-boat Institution has been very considerably reduced during the past year, owing to the diversion of funds, which it would otherwise have received, to the aid of the sick and wounded and other victims of the war; but that, we may feel sure, is only a temporary loss, and when peace is again restored, little doubt can. be entertained that the stream of British charity will return to its accustomed channels once more.

During the past year the life-boats of the NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION have saved 513 shipwrecked persons, whilst in the stormy year 1869 they saved no less than 871. Many of these services were of a very distinguished character, evincing the greatest skill and intrepidity on the part of the brave men who per- formed them, and proving the safe and valuable character of the life-boats by means of which they were accomplished, in proof of which we need only refer to the record in this Number of the Life-boat Journal of services performed by the life- boats of the Institution, and in particular we would invite attention to the very noble services of the Ramsgate and Donna Nook life-boats. Happily, large as was the number of the life-boat men engaged, not one of them lost his life.

We trust that at the end of the year 1871 as favourable and gratifying a re- cord may be given of the year's life-boat work, and that we may still have to thank the Great Ruler of the universe that we are able to devote our minds exclusively to Works of Peace.