New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-09-25
TILE GREAT RnOK E1Ik.


This Is the great markct-wcek OF the book
sellers, the senii-annual sale opening to-day at
Clinton Hall, and closing on Thursday next.
Taking the place of the old trade sales by auc-
ton, this Fair. under the auspices OF the
American Book Trade Association, gives buy
ers many advantages. The large houses, al
most without exception, will offer their entire
lists, and as it il understood that the stocks Of
the retail dealers are somewhat small, brisk
business may DO anticipated. An excellent op-
portunity is presented for judicious buying
upon tire most favorable terms, and the money
aggregate of the sales will undoubtedly amount
TO handsome sum. On Friday clearanc'
Gale by auction will conclude the business Of
the week.
Books are very peculiar and distinct species
of merchandise, and great book sale Is the
most evident result OF the invention OF pint
ing upon movable types Books, 1t is true,
were merchandise before the time OF Faust or
Roster, but they did not rank with the neccs-
saries, but rather with the luxIries OF life,
like pictures, or gems, or cloths Of silk and
gold; and even in this day of their almost in
computable multiplication, they remain some
thing which it is quito possible to live with
ne,
people who never open a printed volume, and
many could not read it if they did there are
others TO whom the newspapers afford a suii-
Gent supply of reading; and there are those
who. i'm their literary researches rarely 20
beyond the cheap and the pdper-coyered'
But for all the excellent books, the
best of the novels, the scientific treatises,
the works of history and OF biography,
there must be many readers, since the demand
for them is so great that trclcss industry and
large capital and curious mechanical and labor
saving inventions are alone sufficient to sup
pIy it. Mr. Carlylc's advice to the young per-
son who sought it was to read the books
which he really felt an honest desire to read /
and no better counsel was ever given. 1t
seems TO us of good omen that 80 many pco-
ple desire to read such good books. The hun
ger of the mind is not ike that of the body /;
and almost any one can i'll time become recon-
ciled TO a state of the most complete intel
lectual deStituhon. Beef and bread all must
have, or at least something to supply their places,
but reading makes neither chyme nor cbylc,
and we have constant evidence that tho time
has gone by when the man could not live
without brains.
Reading Is ReHtIal HdDlb VI INC uIht, Dt-
ginning with childhood and ending only with
life itself. Next Friday will be sold "ono
thousand sets of Juvenile books" The
works, too, which the elder share with
children will be offered theTe-Robinson
Crusoe, the Pilgrims Progress, the Voyages
of CULVER and we may add, the stories Of
Mr.. Dickens 1t is wonderful what hold
some books maintain upon the minds of gen.
Grafton after generation. At this sale will be
exposed invoices of THE Children of the
abbey" and of "The Scottish Chief"
tales which it was thought that the
historical romances of Sir Walter Scott had
consigned to oblivion. Literary fame is not Of
so perishable a nature as has been supposed;
indeed, there seems to be no rule yet discov-
cred by which we may estimate the probable
life of book, OF even of the most insignia-
cant ornament Of a book. Mr.. William Hine,
the weIl-known antiquarian, picked up in Lon
don SET of very rude wOod-cuts which must
have been used TO decorate Christmas Carols
for more than century. The printer was
quite unwilling to part with them; he said that
they were much liked by his customers, who