Sermons for the Church Year, by Phillips Brooks, is published by Messrs. E. P. Dutton and Company.

Mr. Berkeley Updike of Boston sends us a beautiful edition of Hans Andersen's The Nightingale, which is exquisitely illustrated in modern decorative design by Miss Mary Newill, of the Birmingham School of Art. The old style type is used, and the printing is done on handmade paper. As its sub-title defines it, The Nightingale is "a story for children. and a parable for men and women."

The price is only $1.25. We have also received from Mr. Updike the first num ber for 1896 of an American edition of The Quest. Three numbers are issued annually, and the subscription price is $2.00. This magazine is printed by the Birmingham Guild of Handicraft, and expresses the ideas of those artists who are associated with it. The first number contains a delightfully interesting article by William Morris on some buildings in the Kelmscott district.

The New York Library Association, the organisation of librarians for New York State, held its usual meeting for this section of the State, on January 10th, in conjunction with the New York (City) Library Club. An interesting series of papers was read and discussed at the two sessions during the day, and in the evening the State Association was the guest of the New York Library Club at its annual dinner. The New York Library has now been in existence more than ten years, and this dinner and occasion celebrated the tenth completed year.

There was inaugurated, in November, at Milan, a School of Bibliology, for the training of persons employed in the book trade. Its courses of instruction cover three years. The first year deals with the history of books, the second year with the technique of books and bookmaking, and the third year with bibliography and bookselling from the commercial standpoint.

The innocent item in the last issue of THE BOOKMAN relative to a possible oversupply of would-be library employés from the numerous library schools of various grades has called forth some protest from persons interested. If it is true that all graduates of these schools who are reasonably capable find sooner or later suitable places, we ought all to rejoice, and the managers of the schools can afford not to be oversensitive toward the feeling on the part of librarians that there is danger of overproduction. Many people, perhaps not well informed in the matter, think

the law schools are turning out more lawyers than are needed; but the law schools have never looked on this notion as a grievance or an evidence of lack of sympathy with their work. The schools for library training that are doing good work and making no misrepresentations to the public have only to go ahead and let the relations of supply and demand settle themselves. Yet the calling into existence of more and more schools is itself a declaration to the public that there is a probable demand for their graduates. The librarians who are conscious of the great pressure for places may be pardoned for doubting this.

The New York Free Circulating Library, whose library class was the text for all this, assures us that its class is intended only for training its own employés, and is not likely to increase the visible supply. It should, therefore, be honorably acquitted.

The Proceedings of the Denver Conference of the American Library Association has just appeared. The papers read seem to be of perhaps more than usual interest. The articles on international or co-operative indexes to scientific literature mark a widening impulse if they do not give full solutions in the direction of accomplishing completely for all what the strongest libraries can now do for themselves only partially. If the scientists who feel the need most strongly and are making the most stir will clearly formulate what they conceive themselves to need, and let the librarians fix the form and method of such index work, the best results will be

achieved. Some of the papers read at the Denver Conference seem to underrate the extent and difficulty of the task. For instance, the subject index which any two persons with scissors and paste could make in one year of the Royal Society's catalogue of scientific papers might be worth storing where rent was low, but would not be worth printing. Inadequate and faulty work in this direction is worse than none, as it stands in the way of good work. Discussion and investigation will set us in the right direction in the details of this line of work. The plans for such an undertaking should be shaped in this country, where cataloguing and indexing have

been brought to higher perfection than in Europe.

Dr. George E. Wire, who has for the past five years had charge of the medical section of the Newberry Library, in Chicago, has resigned his position. Dr. Wire has during that time arranged and put in order that part of the Newberry Library which incorporates the books of the Medical Library Association of Chicago and the medical works from the Chicago Public Library, and thus forms one of the largest and most important medical libraries in the West. George H. Baker.

Guy Wetmore Carryl.

EASTERN LETTER.

NEW YORK, January 1, 1896.

The holiday trade has come and gone with its customary rush and confusion. In total results it has probably not exceeded previous years, but in the number of titles sold there has unquestionably been an increase. The growing tendency to purchase inexpensive books in preference to costly works has also been strikingly manifested during the past holiday business.

The leading books of the season have undoubtedly been Ian Maclaren's Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush and The Days of Auld Lang Syne. The cheap editions of the former were hardly out in time for Christmas, but it is gratifying to note that the demand for these is confined almost exclusively to the authorised editions. This is due to the prompt and energetic action of the publishers.

The works of Eugene Field continue to be in much favour, the publishers repeatedly being unable to fill their orders. The Story of the Other Wise Man and Little Rivers, both by Henry Van Dyke, and Robert Grant's two books, The Bachelor's Christmas and The Art of Living, were very popular. The Second Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling, and the illustrated edition of Mr. Harris's Uncle Remus also sold readily.

Of the more expensive illustrated books, Constantinople, by Edwin A. Grosvenor, Victorian Songs, by Edmund D. Garrett, and Joseph Jefferson's Rip Van Winkle were most popular.

Juvenile literature of all kinds sold freely. Two Little Pilgrims' Progress, by Mrs. Burnett, Mr. Rabbit at Home, by Mr. Harris, and The Brownies through the Union, by Palmer Cox, were the leaders.

Fiction occupied a prominent place in the holiday purchases, and the works of all the popular authors of the day were in good demand, The Red Cockade, The Prisoner of Zenda, The Manxman, and Slain by the Doones being the special favourites

The humorous books of John Kendrick Bangs, particularly his recent House Boat on the Styx, Chip's Dogs, and a juvenile entitled The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls and a Golliwog received many orders.

Religious works were largely called for, notably Phillips Brooks's and Canon Farrar's Year Books, The Shepherd Psalm, by F. B. Meyer, and How Christ Came to the Church, by A. J. Gordon.

Recent publications are naturally few in number, Mrs. Oliphant's The Makers of Modern Rome, The Vailima Letters, by R. L. Stevenson, and Letters by Matthew Arnold being the most im portant.

The reports so far from the regular booksellers indicate but a fair holiday trade; this may be partially accounted for by the increasing prominence given to the business by the Dry Goods stores, which is somewhat unfortunate, as the average book department is a poor substitute for the well-stocked book-store to the true book buyer. Leading books in point of sale for the month were as follows:

WESTERN LETTER.

CHICAGO, January 1, 1896.

In reviewing the December trade, the first thing that strikes one is that there was no falling off in the bulk of the business done, for sales ran ahead of last year in quantity; but the receipts make it evident that the purchases were smaller and the items less expensive. Costly books are not bought nowadays during the holidays as formerly. There is no doubt that the tempting beauty and artistic neatness of many of the recently published books has interfered largely this year with the sale of more expensive works. Country business during the month was moderately good, and orders called mostly for inexpensive books. Retail trade in Chicago was fair, and compared with last year's record made a good showing, and had it not been for the deplorably wet weather which prevailed during the week before Christmas, the receipts would doubtless have been above the average of the last season.

The books which sold best during the holidays in their respective classes were as follows: In fiction Ian Maclaren's two books, Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush and The Days of Auld Lang Syne, were closely followed by The Prisoner of Zenda, by Anthony Hope; Rudyard Kipling's two Jungle Books; A House Boat on the Styx, by John Kendrick Bangs; The Holy Cross and A Little Book of Profitable Tales, by Eugene Field;

Aftermath and A Kentucky Cardinal, by James Lane Allen; The Bachelor's Christmas, by Robert Grant, and A Singular Life, by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps. Among the juveniles the most popular were A Child of Tuscany, by Marguerite Bouvet; Two Little Pilgrims' Progress, by Mrs. Hodgson Burnett; Brownies through the Union, by Palmer Cox; Hero Tales from American History, by Theodore Roosevelt and H. C. Lodge ; Elsie's Journey on Inland Waters, by Martha Finley, and Trooper Ross and Signal Butte, by Captain Charles King. The old favourites also sold well, particularly the Elsie Books, Miss Alcott's stories, those by Kate Douglas Wiggin, and the numerous works of G. A. Henty. In poetry the demand was very great for Eugene Field's books of verse, and those by James Whitcomb Riley, while the demand for the standard poets were up to the average.

Among the fine holiday books, Abbey's Comedies of Shakespeare sold well, and Joseph Jefferson's Rip Van Winkle went splendidly. The City of the Sultans, by Clara E. Clement, also had a fair sale, but taken as a whole the sales of books in this class were below the average. In historical works and books of travel the favourites were Constantinople, by Marion Crawford; The Makers of Modern Rome, by Mrs. Oliphant ; Notes in Japan, by Parsons; Europe in Africa in the Nineteenth Century, by Mrs. Latimer, and the new edition of D'Amicis, Spain and the Spaniards. In art books the best sellers were Old Dutch and Flemish Masters, the new five-volume edition of Mrs. Jamieson's works, Gibson's Drawings, Churches and Castles of Medieval France, by W. C. Larned, and Beautiful Houses, by Louis H. Gibson. In biography, essays, science, belles-lettres, the leaders were The Book Hunter in London, by William Roberts; Matthew Arnold's Letters; Literary Shrines and Literary Pilgrimages, by Theodore F. Wolfe; A Scientific Demonstration of a Future Life, by Thomson Jay Hudson; Memoirs of Napoleon, by Constant, and The Vailima Letters, by R. L. Stevenson. Outside of the above classes the following miscellaneous books met with more than average sales: Pony Tracks, by Frederick Remington; Electricity for Everybody, by Philip Atkinson; College Girls, by A. C. Goodloe; The World Beautiful, by Lilian Whiting; Because I Love You, by Anna E. Mack. and White City Chips, by Teresa Dean.

The cheap, mutilated reprints of Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush did not affect the sale of the authorised, complete edition during December, for it sold better than at any time since it was published.

Books on Wagner and his operas have been in lively demand since the recent season of Wagner opera in this city began; those most enquired for being Stories from the Wagner Operas, by Miss Guerber, and The Standard Operas, by George P. Upton.

The Cambridge editions of Holmes, Longfellow, Whittier, and Browning are having good sales, and we hope the series will be extended.

The books which sold best in actual numbers last month were:

The Days of Auld Lang Syne. By Ian Maclaren.

$1.25.

Two Little Pilgrims' Progress. By Frances Hodgson Burnett. $1.50.

Beside the Bonnie Brier Brush. By Ian Maclaren. $1.25.

LONDON, November 25 to December 21, 1895.

Great is the joy in the bookselling trade at the revival that has taken place. Whether it is Christmas trade only or a permanent improvement, time will show. As we write, the wholesale trade is at its wits end to get all the orders in hand completed in time for the retailer to receive his parcel before Christmas. The colonial and continental business has been very good for the period named.

The leading book of the season and facile princeps is Trilby. It is selling at the rate of several tons per month. Following it at a respectful distance, as being next in popular favour, are Crockett's Sweetheart Travellers and Marie Corelli's Sorrows of Satan.

ing.

The demand for fairy tales continues unabated. Mr. Baring-Gould's collection is in great request. Drawing-room table books are fast disappearThe public will not buy books which are issued merely to be looked at. They insist upon having a readable text, to which the illustrations are servants, and not by any means the masters. Hence the active enquiry for fiction in fine editions. Defoe, Fielding, Dumas, Balzac. Poe, Smollett, and other authors of established reputations are being sold in very dainty dress.

Minor poetry is decidedly at a discount, and it is doubtful if it is often heard of outside a certain street which is famed for its production. The poetry of William Watson is in good request, and it seems as if one of the poets of the century has appeared. His Father of the Forest has been very well received. There is a good demand for Annuals, Diaries, and Almanacs, but the rush for the two latter classes commences, strangely enough, on New Year's Day. A very favourite gift-book for the season is one of the volumes of Dr. J. R Miller's popular religious writings, which are issued in a delicate uniform binding at 2s. 6d. each by Hodder and Stoughton. Thousands have been sold. There are a few secessions from the ranks of magazine literature, as is usual at the end of the year. They are not of sufficient importance to specify.

Appended is a list of the leading books of the

The Red Cockade. By S. Weyman.

6s.

sor.

Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush. By Ian Mac

(Dodd, Mead & Co.)

2. Doctor of the Old School.

$2.00. (Dodd, Mead & Co.)

$1.25.

By Maclaren.

Red Cockade. By Weyman. $1.50. (Harper.)

Auld Lang Syne.

(Dodd, Mead & Co.)

By Maclaren.

$1.25.

Bachelor's Christmas. (Scribners.)

6. Slain by the Doones. By Blackmore. $1.25. (Dodd, Mead & Co.)

BOSTON, MASS.

Bonnie Brier Bush. By Maclaren. $1.25. (Dodd, Mead & Co.)

2. Days of Auld Lang Syne. By Maclaren. $1.25. (Dodd, Mead & Co.)

3. Meadow-Grass. By Alice Brown. $1.50. (Copeland & Day.)

4. Arnold's Letters. 2 vols. Ed. by Russell. $3.00. (Macmillan.)

The Bachelor's Christmas. By Grant. $1.50.

(Scribner.)

6. Singular Life. By Phelps Ward. $1.25. (Houghton.)

BUFFALO, N. Y.

2. Doctor of the Old School. By Ian Maclaren. $2.00. (Dodd, Mead & Co.)

per.)

2. Vailima Letters. By Stevenson. (Stone & Kimball.)

$2.25.

(Harper.)