The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-11-25

take the lead, next at a considerable
! distance follow books of travel with
biography, history, and the popu-
/ lar" class of scientific literature very
/ close upon the former Chemistry,
especially, is very attractive to many,
and appffeants feFsPeciafzTefufnes-in
this department. arequite as apt to be
clerks as Students of individual
authors, Charles Dickens is forer
most. The Mercantile patronizes
Peterson's duodecimo edition., of
which there are $50 complete sets,
while of Our Mutual Friend. Ave
hundred copies were ordered. Wilkie
Collins, isa4so very pppalar, and II
required : three : hdhdred copies
of Armadale" to satisfy the
demand. The everlasting and tedi-
Gus Miss Muhlbach has a steady circle
of admirers who compel the Mercan-
tile to purchase 1000 copies, 250 of
which are Of " Marie Antoinette. 8
and 225T Of Joseph lis OF stand
ard books Eece Homo demanded
125 copies; the Queens Book !" 100
copies. Next to Dickens comes the
French Dumas; then Trollope, Reade,
Collins, Quida," Bulwer, Young,
Thackeray, George Elliott, KingiIey
Charles and Henry, Olifant and
George Sands. Victor Hugo has an
intermittent popularity, " Les Miser-
ables" running up from Is to 100
copies. Captain Mayne Reid has also
splendid following among the
younger members. Miss Muloch is
the objectlof a very steady demand,
and, when everything is taken into
consideration, Mr. Green thinks that.
she may be said to equal both Collins
and "Ouida." ~.
Among the American authors, Mrs,
Southworth takes the lead. Next to
her stands Bayard Taylor, whose
Hannah Thurston" is represented
by one hundred and fifty copies, and
in this respect he fairly rivals the
Philadelphian. Miss Evans comes
closely on the heels Of both these
authors. Her St Elmo was pro.
digious success, judging by the num-
Der OF orders at the Mercantile Boys.
are great readers of Cooper. Young
ladies. call for Mary .Jane Holmes,
Marion Harland Mrs. Terhune), and
Mrs. A. II. Stevens. Trow bridge is a
general favorite, and commands
larger circle of admirers than Dr..
Holmes. OF the Guardian Angel,
however, seventy-fve copies have
been ordered. William Gilmore
Simms runs about. even with Trow-5
bridge, while Hawthorne is a failure
from the Mercantile standpoint.
Longfellow is the most popular of
Am eriean poets Next comes Whit
tier, followed by Poe. Bryant Curl
ously is very nearly at the bottom of
the list; but then he has Hawthorne
for consolation None of them, how
ever, can approach Tennysop, and
even Scott and Byron Especially the
latter are. more read than the Amer
can poets. Upper, fortunately. is
not a success, while Mrs. Browning
and Owen Meredith both stand toler-
ably high on the lists. r. ~ ar.s
With respect to standard authors,
Shakespeare takes splendid pre-emi-
nence. The complete octave edition
numbers rs copies, while there are
numerous other editions on the
shelves. Milton is only read for his
Paradise Lost" The days of Shell
ley, Coleridge and Wordsworth seem,
to have gone by. Lamb, however, is
a permanent favorite. .zr
a CURIOUS FACT OR TWO. IL
1t is noted as a curious fact that
the dramatization of an author or the
reproduction of the plot of a novel
on the New York stage leads to an. i'm
mediate call for the original of the
! play. Thus Little Nell " at Wall
! lacks last summer led to a rush for
/ Dickens FUld Curiosity Shop
Griffith Gaunt" at the New York
! Theatre, compelled the Mercantile TO
/ buy more copies of the novel. Hen
~ Dunbar, now on Wallack's stage,
/ has occasioned a very considera bic
call for the novel Ct that name. Mere
/ puffery and advertising are not fair
/ guides of the popularity of a book.
( Thus the Mercantile bought fifty
copies of Nichols Sanctuary" mis-.
( led by the success of the Story of
the Great March, and three fourths
of the copies remain uncalled for,
Swineburne was represented by the
same number of copies, and the de-
mand tripled the supply Most new
/ books have a run of about six weeks.
After that there is lull and theIfer
yer ceases. Miss Mulbach is one.ot
the few exceptions to- thus rude. she
has been before the public for six
months and the call is still undated
Jean Ingelow has very considerable
popularity. PEI. contra, Christian
| Rossetti has none at all. -
A TROUBLESOME BEAU. -i8
q