Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-07-17
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CIRCULATING LIBRARY. :

A little, pale, wall-eyed, woe be
gone shop it is-like large dust bin
of two compartments and sitter. 1t
looks, indeed, as if the builder had
been a sparing man in his day, aad
constructed the shop of secondhand
materials, which took kindly to the
dry rot and to dirt and to all things
decaying and dismal, and perpetuated
his memory with genteel shabbl.
ness.
A Daily News reporter enterad this
dingy hatchment the other day,
thinking of old Krook's place in
Chancery lane. A large cat, not un-
like Krook's, clawed at him as he
passed along by the dusty, book bur-
dened shelves and tables. The queer
old lady peered through the dim light
from the door leading to the rear
compartment.
"You keep a circulating ibrary2"
the reporter ventured to ask.
Yes, SIR" she said, her words com
ing forth like the sharp, successive
bites of file on frosty iron.
"Can I hire "A Woman of Hons
orr"
who Is 1t by}'
"H. G. Bunner.
"Bunner- -Bunner-Bunner let me
see-what else did he write9 He
can't be very well known in fiction.
None of his works has appeared in the
cheap paper editions yet. Who is
he9"
"Oh, he is young New York poet
OF some ambition. He has written
some very pretty verses and some
clever stories. He used to be the editor
Of Puck. But, no matter. What
authors are most read nowadays"
"Haw she said, in her shrill voice,
mot the best-not the best, you may
we'll believe. I've been in Chicago
forty years; my fathers house was al
ways hlled with books, / was once the
principle of q female seminary; have
long kept q library to hire cut TO make
a living, and 1 know what the people
on the West Side read. The mass of
readers read light, trashy literature y
"What authors do you fiud abso~
lete2"
Fanny Fern, to begin with; she's
dead; nobody ever asks for her. Aun
S. Stephens is as near dead, too, a
can be; she is seldom asked for nova
DAYS. Gilmore Slmms is dead; past
revival. His style was about the
same as Mayne Reid's. He lived in
Florida. Who wrote the books by
TX Marvel9' Donald G. Mitchell.
He is never read now except by rdra
dris-a scholar-some one who is
really literary. He was very famous
in his day. Then there is Cooper; he
is never off the shelves now. He filled
a place in his day, and does yet, as a
painter of Indian character. I've been
guest in his house many day al
Coopertown. They all spoke French
in the family; they left English for
the kitchen. He was man of q good
deal of aGectstion of manner. 'Hei
ems Babies and John Hahbertoa S
other books had a great run for a
time, but they are little perused now,
Once in a great while somebody will
take out 'Helen's Babies from curios-
| ity; but his writings are all ephemeral
none of them has the abiding quality.
| Marion Harland is another that's little
read now. though she Is still writing,
| believe. But to mention some OF even
greater caliber. 1 may say in a word
that Scott, Dickens, Thackeray, Troll
lepe, Black, Blackmere and all that
ilk are called popular, but are not
generally read on the west side, Libra
rian Poole to the contrary notvith-
standing"
''Did Victor Hugo's death have any
perceptible effect in revivlng his works
among your customerst"
me; because no ons reads him here.
Perhaps his 'Toilers of the Sea- or Les
Miserables' might be taken out once
or twice in the course of year by my
recommending them, but they would
be brought back in disgust after q
chapter or two had been read. Iii tell
you another that isn't popular
George Eliot She lies dead on my
shelves here. Her books are too full
of philosophy. personally know
the best people on the west side; ]
used to mingie with the iterati. and
/ know what the masses read and DOM
read. Librarian Poole and / dom