The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-11-21

twill tax the shine off t'others-out
Nell, wall. mother and me have
boughten five Bibles-an' Nell, wall,
Nell's the baby. sir. We ken afford TO
GO little beyond"
The old man coughed then, and slow.
II counted out from tine-worn wal.
let eighteen dollars. The brisk clerk
tried 10 act in a business-like manner,
but somehow his touch was very gem
tie, both with the money and with
Nell's '-weddin'" present, and when
the old man turned away, carrying
with him the big heavy package, which
he would not hear ITO sendin', Z e
young man gave his hand hearty
shake. As II half ashamed OF himse Z
the clerk paid CD for his feelings by
industr;ously slapbanging the rest OF
the Bibles back into their boxes and
shelves.
sell many family Bibles for wed.
ding presents?" queried friend.
Every year the demand Is greater
replied the clerk. Il doubt il there
Is ever wedding in country home
where the folks are in any way relig-
iously inclined, but that mother and
me are represented IN the gift OF u
family Bible. 1t is part OF the stock
IN trade Tor the setting upof the young
people. IN city homes the family BIZ
bic no longer occupies a special place
OF honor on the parlor center tables,
but the homes in the country are few
and far between where the big book IS
not conspicuousiy displayed IN the best
rooms. Usually johns and Mary's
names appear in gilded letters on the
lid
The old gentleman who has just
made a purchase relied on my judC-
ment ia the selection OF a Bible. Nell
was ieetle' and 'tastylike,' he said. SO
I concluded that these Bibles, with
their flash. heavily gilded and decorated
lids. were not the style Nell would
most admire. So l got out our latest
styles, these rich. cushioned-back b.
bles, without trace OF gilt except n
the thick gold of the edges of the
leaves. They are the highest priced.
But Nell has = Bible that Will never
shock the most artistic taste. These
big. square-looling Bibles, with their
fiat. heavily-gilded lids, sell from three
dollars and half up to seven dollars.
They have record pages, places for
photO~ra phS, also a concordance and
illustrations. The paper is not OF the
fine grade. however. nor Is the binding
superior. Still such Bibles sell and are
in great demand. Big Bibles are only
sold for wedding presents and for pull
pit stands. The latter are distinct
from the family Bibles. The pulpit
Bible has extra large type and contains
absolutely nothing but the chapters.
There is no concordance. no eXplana-
tory notes. no illustrations, no blank
pages or dictionary.
The family Bible NAV not be con-
spicuously displayed among the gifts
at city weddings, but it is there all the
same. Either ore side Of the house or
the other sends the big book, but usu-
ally the mother OF the bride. The big
Bibles are much cheaper now than
they were few years ago. The finest
ones are twenty dollars or therea bouts.
Sometimes we have orders for more
extravagant ones. The quality, how.
ever is not displayed 10y ostentation.
Extra fine paper and rich. elegant
binding make up for the difference IN
price. | do not know how the hard
times have affected the purchase q
wedding presents OF other kinds, but
do know that this year our sales in
family Bibles which ars always large
aad steady, have already surpassed
those OF last wear