New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-18
EyGLIsHuEy is BoOK-BUYERS.
From The London Spectator.

From The London Spectator.
The difficulty with the Engllshman Is that Nhli i
he desires to read and does read, till he supports
some . 600 Book Clubs and Circulating Libraries
some OF them of very extensive KIND, lie does not
particularly care to possess Gooks re Duys I9
books he wants, and sometimes very Few reprints,
so cheap that he does not care II they are LOST nnt
he does not buy the books ceasclesSiy issued by the
trade lie thinks, wholly apart from their price,
thrv would cumbcr his rooms, aud lie about, ana
ether get into disrepair which aronts his Of
order or Get lost, which oiiends his instinct OF de-
cent economy. He never thinks OF them rs furnl-
tur; aud wall-linlng, usually IN fact, locking them
away under glass ana very rarely lndee'i STARTS
hook. ROOM where they may m0nder nndIsulbed,
or with little carB remain "a pleasant household
pOssession. He has no rOOin ho says being ull-
aware how books. il piled shelves TO the roof,
will pack till n single large square parlor az the
London Library with books oh the walls only,
holds 1900. lie has not the idea that the atmos-
Dberc of books is educating for his children, but
rather breads it, thinking that they Will read TOO
many and diSsipate their minds, or get hold OF the
wrong books subject upon which, with the pnrest
literature in the world, an tngllshman mas an
almost morbid nervousness. He had much rather,
when he wants n book send for 1t TO the Snbscrip-
ton Library read it, send 1t away, and be done
finally with all trouble on that score lie does not
want except in sUecia cases to read 1t over ana
over again and il he does, he send for 1t agaln
TO the same Library, when the book soon rs 1t rs
old that is, has been issued six montis-ls per-
fcctly sure be at liberty, odd little glimpse OF
itself INTO English readers minds. The book, once
swallowed becomes litter To him an lncOn-
yenience and he had much rather the librarian
kept it, just he had much rather that Tie banker
kept his money This feeling, which IS, we are con
WINGED. the one most operative. more especially
with women. who, unless genuine readers, never gel
rid of an impression that books are untldy," Is
strengthened by peculiar form OF nrann II, or
tive note in English cilarrrtcr Booh-buylng.
being for the purpose OF reading unnecessary,
strikes US all as extravaganza. Why the feeling
should exist strongly among people whIch
scattcrs money broadcast, We do not know: but as
TO the fact of ls existence we VIII take the trsJl-
mony of any experienced EngllShman, except
bblophiie, even If he be an habltuai buyer OF
books. Even such one thinks himself cXtraya-
giant, hides away his book -bHIs, ana Woul" nnch
rather his wife ana cuidfen ASKED no questions
about price. We doubt II there are Il nun
drcd Enclishmen IN the world without the feeling
inciudiug YOU. render who are eNtraYagdnt by
nature ana do buy books aud carry them home As
to the average Engllshnan, hc Simply hates buying
books will wait weeks for novel which he Is crazy
to read worries Nude with pIepo- ferrous demands,
drives his fellow members OF the BOOK Clup lIantlc
with selfish recommendations, and sometimes. IN
his to borrow. performs acts OF incredible
mcauncss. We have known authors asked 10 lcnu
their own copies by men OF ten times their income,
while publishers grow hard IN their lights To- pre-
cent ,caultntonccs OF all kinds getting their books
without payment. Even the subscriptions 10 libra
Tics are paid reluctantly. The cusiOdlanS ot large
serious Ill rarie5 know perfectly well that II Is next
to impossible 10 prevent a dozen families from
using a single subscription, and McSSrS Nudl'S
books arc lent from hand Ia hand with tho coolest
and hardest defiance OF ordinary Justice. The total
result Il that the mddlc-Class Engli -hman As
rule does not bug books, and except the aforesaid
classics and professional books, he possesses
scarcely any. la srcond-rate towns, booksellers
could not lie but for their stationery and IN one
ease we know q lending bookseller dld not receive
ordcr,-apart from Bibles Praycr-boohs and books
for presentation ono hundred volumes year
Would demand begin. II the books were cheaper
We doubt IL greatly. In the first place, the cheap
ne,, OF the books would not diminish, but pcrcep-
tibly increase their dsfayoT as litter The Briton
knows iu,tnctycly that II he b. gins buying books,
lac will never stop; that n he gives way 10 the idea
that they arr cheap, mamma may want them ana
the girls will want thom and the boys viii insist on
them; aud four books AZ i've slilllngs make "A
pound the price OF two stalls for the theatre: and
and-and Me-srs. Nude will send YOU 800 volumes,
sIG q week, for three guincls year. No reduction
of price will compete with that, and the English
man who reads novels all the evening, but never
j.. quite certain that they not dclcicrlous, VIII,
even nj five shilngs avoid luving them; and for
his serious books read them first. To see # they are
worth buying. aud then not buy Publishers arc
81 beet tu conditions like all other human beings:
and one of their conditions IN this country Is that
tho English are not As yet book. buying people.
They are educated mp 20 the point of reading. but
not OF paying appreclable part of their incomes
for the privilege OF possessing books. There Is
china TO buy, and wine, and books must be hired.