Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1893-05-18
AN ENGLISH SOCIETY.
WOMEN WHO KEEP INFORMED IN CUR
RENT LITERATURE.

RENT LITERATURE.
An Economical Method of Purchasing
Books and Convenient and Sociable
Way of Discussing the Latest Efrusion of
Popular Writer.
An English woman, recently married
10 New York lawyer. with home in
the suburbs. is trying an interesting ex-
pertinent in the way Of literary and
book lending society The system she
has adopted has been used in suburban
towns of England and in many of the
larger provincial cities for more than
half a century. In fact, there is soci-
ETY. in Rochester, England, which claims
to have had it in continual use for more
than 100 years. There. is probably no
system exactly like it, however, in this
part of the world
The main object of this system is to
supply books to women who have ample
time for reading and are eager to keep
pace with all that is interesting in tho
tremendous rush of contemporaneou
literature. A man with even moderate
income cannot afford to keep his wife
supplied with new books and magazines
as they come out. The cheapest new
novel, if It is worth anything, will be
sure to cost him 80 cents. In nine cases
out Of ten the first price is more likely to
be $3.50. To be sure, almost everything
nowadays ultimately drifts into the
cheap edition, but it is after the book
has ceased to be fresh in the minds of
the public and people have ceased to
talk about it.
Women who live in the country and
in the suburbs have more time for read
ing than women in cities, and withal
fewer means of getting anything good
to read. The time worn volumes in the
local circulating library have been their
familiar friends from childhood. If the
husband subscribes to a circulating
library in town and promises to bring
new book home with him every night,
he is likely to grow weary soon and for
get all about it. An then when an in
telligent woman reads good novel she
likes to talk to somebody about it. Her
husband hasn't time to read, and the ac-
quaintances she visits have never even
heard Of it.
The literary English woman found her
self in this plight, so she interested her.
self in forming club similar to the one
she belonged to at her English home.
The idea is simple one. Forty or 80
persons in town organize book soci-
ETY.. That is the name usually given to
them in England. 1t has been found
advisable to have at least 40 members,
and not to have more than so. The
Rochester society has adhered to this
rule despite powerful pressure to in
crease its membership. Applicants for
membership are kept waiting six years,
and sometimes more. for admission. A
society No. 2 has naturally been formed,
but the prestige remains with the pioneer
society. which meets every week, winter
and summer. in the Old Bull hotel, made
famous in the "Pickwick Papers" The
society hires room, cheerful and COM
Portable, which is placed at its disposal
one night each week. The landlord al
lows the members to keep large cup
board ia the room in which to store
books.
These books are in charge of secre-
tary The position is simply an honorary
ole. but the members usually make the
secretary who attends to business q very
substantial Christmas present-a piece
of silver OF some article Of household
furniture perhaps. The members deter
mine by ballot what books shall be pur-
chased, but it devolves upon the secre-
tary to buy them. He is supposed to get
discount prices from publishers. This is
managed without difficulty, and the
publishers generally find itfor their own
interest to remember the secretary about
Christmas time. The result is that in
prosperous societies the position is
sought after. 1t is worth while to de-
vote some little time to it.
Balloting to determine what new books
shall be bought takes place once each
month. If twenty or more members find
| it expedient to purchase some new book
or series of books issued between ballot
ing meetings-such for instance, as
Stanley's latest record of his travels OF
new volume Of popular encyclope-
dia-the secretary must get it for them
when they present request in writing.
But the members keep themselves SC
well posted that books of this kind are
usually voted for in advance.
All the money subscribed is not devot-
ed to buying new books and magazines
In every society there are few mem.
bers who prefer to read and even reread
Dickens. Thackeray, Scott and numer.
Gus other standard writers. The wants
Of these people must be and are provided
for to a reasonable extent. Each mem
ber may draw three books at one time
but it is not allowed to keep any book fol
more than IA days. If it Isl book which
is in demand. the time is limited to ono
week.
Every two years the books belonging
to the society are assorted by the secre
tary into lots of equal value and are
"drawn" by the different members In Z
lottery. Every member present has tho
right to draw one number. In this way
the cupboard" Of the society is kept free
from dead wood" and the individual
members are able to build up SOLID
little library at home. Every member
eventually gets his money back in books
AS to the cost Of running a society o.
this kind, perhaps the best criterion
would be the Rochester society. Eacl
member pays shilling at initiation anC
| sixpence week dues If he gets behind
in his dues, he is fined threepence for eacl
week. If he neglects it for more than |
month, his name is dropped. This has
rarely happened in the Rochester soci
ETY., although the rules are rigidly in
forced. The money collected in this way
has been found ample to run the society
and keep the members abreast Of new
literature.
The weekly meetings are largely de
voted to discussion. Two or three Of tn
newest books are usually taken up. Tn
talk is mostly conversational, though tn
secretary is supposed to exercise som
control Of the meeting and keep tn,
members from all talking at once.-Ney
York Times.
Position Of Wood and Its Durability.
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