The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-04-09
KEEPING POSTED.
An English Idea in Clubs Adopted by
the Wife of a New York Lawyer.

the Wife of a New York Lawyer.
New York Times.
An English woman, recently married TO
a New York lawyer with a home in the
suburbs, is trying an interesting experiment
in the way Of literary and bOok-lending
society. The system she has adopted has
been used in suburban towns in England
and in many of the larger provincial cities
for more than half century. In fact, there
Is a society in Rochester, England, which
claims to have had it in continual use for
more than 100 years. There is probably no
system exactly like il, however, in this part
of the world. The main object Of this sys-
TEN is TO supply books to women who have
ample time for reading and are eager
To keep pace with all that is in
teresting in the tremendous rush Of con-
temporane ons literature. man with
even a moderate income cannot afford to
keep his wife supplied with new books and
magazines as they come out. The cheapest
new novel, if ii is worth anything, will be
sure 10 cost 80 cents In nine eases out of
ten the FIRST price IS more likely to be 81 30.
i @ be sure, almost everything nowadays
ultimately drifts into the cheap edition. but
il IS after the book has ceased to be fresh
IN the mindspf the public and people have
ceased to talk about il. And then when an
~
likes TO talk TO somebody abont it, Her
husband hasn't time TO read, and the ac-
quainiauces she visits have reyer even
heard OF IT, The literary English woman
found herself In tins plight, so she inter-
ested herself in forming a club similar to
the one she belonged 10 at her English
home.
The idea is a simple one Forty or fifty
persons IN town organize a book society
That Is the name usually given TO them in
I'UulaUd IT hqa lpnn fanu1 cd 70
have at least forty mem bers and not to have
more than fifty. The Rochester society
meets every week, winter and summer, in
me old Bull Hotel, made famous in the
"Flckwick Papers" The society hires a
room cheerful and comfortable which is
placed at its disposal one night each week.
The landlord allows the members to keep a
large cupboard in the room in which 10
store books. These books are in charge Of
q secretary. The position is simply an hon
oTary one, but The members usu-
ally make the secretary who at
tends to business very substantial
Christmas present. piece Of silver or some
article Of household furniture perhaps The
members determine by ballot what books
shall be purchased, but it deyolves upon the
secretary to buy them. He is supposed to
get discount prices from publishers. Ballot
ing to determine what new books shall be
bought takes place each month. II twenty
OF more members ind II eXpedlent to Dur-
chase some new book or series of books
issued between ballOting meetings-such,
for instance, as Stanley'S latest record of
his travels or a new volume of popular
eucycloDedIaAhe secretary must get it for
them when they present a request IN writing.
All the money subscribed is not devoted
to buying new books and magazines. In
every society there are a few members who
prefer to read and even Te-read Dickens.
IhackeTay, Scott and numerous other
standard writers. The wants of these peo-
ple must be and are provided for to a rea-
s0nable extent. Each member may draw
three books at one time, but is not allowed
10 keep any book for more than fourteen
days. II It IS a book which is in demand
the time is-iimited 10 one week. Every two
years the books belonging to the society are
assorted by the secretary into lots of equal
value AMI are draw" by the different
members in a lottery. Every member pres
ent has the right to draw one number. In
This way the cupboard" of the society is
kept free from ''deadwood." and the indi-
v.4ual members are able to build up a solid
little library at home. Every member
eventually gets his money back in books.
As 10 the cost Of running a society of this
kind, perhaps the best criterion would be
tle Rochester society. Each member pays
- cents NJ initiation and y cents a week
dues. Ii he gets behind in his dues he is
fined 6ceuts for each week. Ii he negleets
i for more than a month his name is
dropped The money collected in this way
has been found ample to run the society
and keep the members abreast OF new liter
allure. The weekly meetings are largely
devoted TO discussion. Two or three of the
newest books are usually taken up. The
talk is mostly conversational, though the
secretary Is supposed to exercise some con-
troll OF the meeting and keep the memb ers
from all talking at once.