The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-05-06
OUTWARD e PATHS favOrife Tenor, at Ply
mouth Church., Monday evening, May 4. Don't
miss hearing him.

IL any one could only tell why he could
patent the secret and sell II for large sums
In promissory notes to all the authors In the
land. Some of the Librarians say that IL Is
simply for the reason that The Prince OF
India" is too big a book.
They have quite another way OF judging
these things than the reviewers have. A
big book published by an author whose
popularity is established will sell. probably,
as many copies as author and publisher
estimate; but there. again. the librarians
look at these things differently from pub
fishers: They say that the big books may
author. but they will not be read Henry
James's "Bostonians." in the library edi-
tons. confesses 10 something like eight
hundred pages. When IL was first put on the
library shelves il was called for by the
Jamesites with avidity. They took IL out
OF the library, hugging IL 20 their bosoms-
They returned IL quarter read, half read.
sometimes two-thirds read, but wholly
read, oh, SO seldom.
But 1t won't do 10 go too Tar on these
lines in drawing a conclusion. Short stories
are very seldom called for In libraries. A
volume Of one story OF average length, say
for three times when a volume OF short
stories by the same author Is called for
how, with a great deal that has been writ
ten lately on the popularity OF the short
story. But the people VINO take BOOKS out
readers of fiction. impolitely refuse 10 be
guided in their selection by what is Writ
ten about books. They seem to be a class
quite apart from the book buyers. Whether
they have greater or less literary Judgment
need not be considered, although IL might
be highly interesting.
Library readers will sometimes wear to
rags and tatters a class OF books OF books
relating TO an epoch, when the booksellers
are Obvious of the fact that any one Ia
Interested in those publications.
Sometimes the Librarians can account for
these phenomena. but TO do so they must
keep track Of current theatrical events. and
current politics. and sometimes, even, OF
sensational court trials. The performance
of beau Brummel," for instance. will keep
the library clerks busy digging out histori-
cal works, biographies and memoirs relat-
ing TO the regency period OF George ". An
international disturbance or a prominence
given to international questions, as the
Boring sea controversy, the Hawaiian CUES
ton. the Chilian episode. Will result In not
onIy a demand for books directly on IN
ternational law, but for the lives of states
men and diplomates who nave been prom.
inent in international controversies. Library
attendants very soon get over all surprises
at the apparent lack Of relation between
the person calling for a book and the book
In fact. the whole question seems 10 be
one of nonrelation. The mechanic is always
calling for somebody's history OF the Gene
va convention or some other book as dis
family related TO his calling: and the head
of a big establishment in the dry-goods dis
trict is as like as not 10 stop in az the
library on his way up town and pick on.
somebody's thesis on the procession 0f the
e~QuincxeS.