The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-02
WHAT THE PEOPLE READ.
Some OF tho Books Most Sought
for al the Public
Library.
The Gall for Fiction ie not
as Large as Else
where.
Things Which Make n Work Popular or
Unpopular or Make the Writers
Famous.
''Ig Little Lord Fauntleroy in2''

"Is Little Lord Fauntleroy INF"
mo"
IFS Ivanhoe"
mo"
"Is Ben Hur?"
mo"
"Daniel DerondaT
mo"
david Copper6eldY'
"No.'
Monte Christo!"
mo"
All out! The whole illustrious family.
These celebrated characters of fiction are
seldom to be found at home. When they
are, they can be seen on the shelves Of the
Helena public library. The many inquiries
made for them there are an evidence of
their popularity. Three, four, five and, in
cases. even six of them are circulating
about own all the time.
"The most popular class of books
in the Helena public library" said
Librarian Sulgrove, "ia fiction. But the
proportion is not us large as in other public
libraries. Usually from rs to 80 per cent.
Of the calls ut Libraries are for fiction.
Here the average is about g. per cent.
There is a good demand for historical
works, scientific books. and those relating
to mining, assaying and engineering.
About the time a dramatic company is OK
pectsd in town there il q good call for
works of that class"
OF the American authors Lew Wallace
leads in popularity, considering the small
number Of books he has written. His ben
Hur," it IL safe to say, is AZ much read as
any book published in the English Ian
mare Tor ~ l1I ---1
than Wallsce's: That il because Howells
wrote more. It is a singular fact that
those who start on HoweIls do not
hold up we'll to it. They seem
to take him like medicine, and
rarely come back for a second dose. Among
the best educated people Charles Egbert
~Craddock's southern sketches take very we'll.
popular with the masses. Most people pre-
fer Southworth to Craddock. Harriet
Beecher Stowe's Uncle Toms Cabin
shows signs of becoming dogeared from fire.
guent handling, while the dust frequently
gathers on the corner Of in the Tennessee
lead stowe among the woman writer's.
George Eliot takes we'll, but "Daniel Deron-
da,' and John Halifax, Gentleman" keep
moving about, while adam Bede" and
''Silas Manner two of her most charming
books, rarely receive a call. .Muhlback'a
IL stOrlcal movers are popular, Dut not al
much so as their merit deserves.
Dickens, Scott, T~hackeray and Bulwer are
the most popular of the foreign authors,
and in the order named. Most OF Dickens
books are off the shelf nearly all the time.
"Pickwick Papers in the lead. Between
Nicholas Nickleby" and David Copper
field there is q close battle on popularity.
old Curiosity Shop BLEAK House,
does not seem to take well. Neither does
Martin Chuzzlewit." The intense patriot
ism which pervades the Rocky mountains
will not permit of the perusaI of a book
where one reads such vile ISLANDERS as thai
a land deal. "Ihe Tale of Two Cities,''
probably the most dramatic story of the
lot, gets out occasionally. With Scott it
is mostly %"Ivanhoe," though when that
fs not to be had others go" .Ihe Vir-
ginians," VANITY Fair" and ."Tne New
comes" are the works OF Thackeray which
have the most readers. Nearly everybody
indefinite, of Becky Sharp. Hence the
popularity of Vanity Fair would seem
to bang on the fame of that extraordinary
female to about the same extent that 1.-THE
~Virginians" finds favor because it tells
something about George Washington not
its prelude, is seldom asked for, "Penden-
mis- gets off the shelf now and then, but
he is evidently. not a popular hero, because
not Ike most heroes. line Last DAYS of
Pompeii' heads the list with Bulwer's
writings. 1t is interesting, historical and
fashionable. Eugene Aram'' must prove
heavy reading, as few get far enough to
fnd out what a great story it is and
tell their %neighbors about it.
Considering the fact that one has to read
a series to get to the end of a story. the elder
Dumas has many friends in Helena. Espe-
cialiy is this the case with his Monte
Christie" The length of Victor Hueo's
on their circulation. But such is
not the fact. Lies Miserables." .'Notre
Dame and the History of a Crime'' keep
on the move most of the time. Ninety
three" has not many admirers. There is a
hero in ii, but no heroine. Charles Read is
another popular author, and his Peg Of
tington' is quite a favorite. Hawthorne's
Scarlet Letter" is another boob that is
pretty we'll devoured. Wilkie Collins books
are liked, but the liking does not amount to
enthusiasm. Some prefer his "Amadale,'
woman in White" and The Moonstone.'
his earlier works. while his later writings.
including p Miss Finch,'' MAN and
Wife, and The New Magdalen," are most
popular with others.
There is a charming series of books trans
lated from the German by Mrs. Wister. a
Philadelphia woman. When any particu-
lar patron of the library gets to reading too
much Southworth. the Wister TRANSACTIONS
nre %ingeniously worked off and prove n
healthy change. But women will read of
love. They begin at 16 or under and stop
at GO or over.
Among the miscellaneous books whose
names are even better known than their
authors, Little Lord Fauntleroy'' leads.
Scottish Chiefs and ''Thaddeus of War
saw" make the rounds of the reading pub
lie. but it il only once in awhile that the
"Chlldren Of the Abbey get out for an air
ing.
Boys read almost ANYTHING tina tells of
adventure, but there il one exception
Robinson Crusoe." Rarely can a boy DO
induced to read of Crusoe's lonely ~sojourn
on the island. There is too much diary
it; too much got up. eat dinner,
to bed" Stanley's books of travel are
more sought for. There il one little fellow
whose serious face would seem to indicate
that he couldn't see Il joke. Yet he never
fails TO call for a funny book 1t is the
aim of the Helena Public Library to keep
the younger generation from reading too
much fiction.
Hanging and stand lampsa at less than cost Mt
The Bee Hive.
t;et Runners for baby cn%rrin~es nj Gal