The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-11-21
A R0YCROFT SAMPLE
"On Golng 10 Church" Is Little Ole
Wherein a Dollars Worth May Be.

Chiefly through the medium OF the liltl
magazine, the Philistine, which we re
D guiarly receive, IL has become known {,
a US tbst there Is place called Eas
, Aurora, that II lies In New York Stat,
ana that whatever else II has or has no
III possesses, aside from the Philisitne
the Roycroft Printing Shop. Our impres
sion is bat East Aurora, the Philistins
! ana tho Roycroft Printing Shop are
much the same parcel. SO that should we
ever Undertake TO visit there we would
feel quite as safe In asking the road "a
one 40 to either OF or both the others.
The Roycroft Printing Shop puts out
DOCKS. They may or may not be- more
elegant productions than other publish
Ing houses put ont, bet as class they
are 10 be distinguished since the only
KIND the Roycroft puts out Is the very
nest KIND the shop knows how to pro-
duce, whereas, of course, no other house
nretends TO do it's very best all the time.
according TO one authority, "books too
oSautliul 10 defle by price are put out
from these presses" but that must not be
taken too literally since the Roycroft
shop, sf'er all, prints books to sell, at
least Few, and IL the defilement posi-
Ole from price is likely 10 be prouortion-
ale TO the size OF the price many OF these
exquisite productions ere quite sufficient
iy defiled for all practical purposes one
would say. But the Roycroft Shop limits
It's output TO It's capacity for realizing its
ideals, employs no agents, does not sell
through book stores, and in these aud
other ways concentrates things on East
Aurora.
The first book from the Roycroft shop,
OF which we have CT ourselves actual
knowledge is entitled son going TO
Church." by George Bernard Shaw, who
wrote,as we are informed, "Quintesseuce
OF lbsencism" and "Arms and the Man,
we nave naturally been strongly inter
ested in looking over this book, this frat
material thiDg-always excepting the
Philistine-from " The fruitful book farm
al East Aurora, whore the Rovcroft shop
laziiy turns its fairy presses" We are
Impressed with the description of the
book as furnished by the publishers since
u tells us absolutely nothing about
the writing OF 1t, but only ABOUT
the fsshioning of the volume. This
volume, then, il an Authorized |
Edition done throughout in the best |
Roycroft style: Romanesque type and |
kelmscott initials, Dickinson Deckel-edge
paper, wide margins. Price, stoutly
bound in antique boards, One Dollar.
twenty-five numbered copies on Toxic
Nellum; special hand decorations on var
ious pages done in water colors by Bertha
Z. Hubbard bound In genuine vellum
from skins prepared especially for US;
price, Five Dollars"
ne book of which we are possessed
is the One Dollar kind.
NOW what Is this sample product OF an
unique publishing house like, the gentle
reader just naturally wants TO know. In
the first place, we discover what the
printing Shop didn't bother itself to tell
rs, that son Going to Church." which
9 the Authorized Edition, is an essay of
oerhsps six thousand words. 1t is
lever essay, the purpose of which is to
how that as place of rest, rsfreshment
al recreation, vital wants of mankind.
he church, for all its existing cisaGvan-
ages Is better acceptable than the drink
ng shop or most any public place you can
sadily think Of. There is something of
right philosophy of life and q serious I
lew OF art in the essay, and altogether IL
calculated TO prove pleasant and sugges-
I've to most any reader OF intelligence. ,
er rhaps, too, inspiring. ,
But why Ono Dollar for this little I
'say? Every one Of a dozen periodicals c
nd reviews that could be named fur c
ishes reading matter quite as good 60
MS is for third OF that price with a :
It moro reading thrown in. Plainly, d
ie hoyroft Shop does not assume that q
r. Shaw's essay is inherently worth One &
oliar'-it is the book for which One "
ollar is asked. 1t Is q beautifulbook m n
'ed-an exquisite piece OF book work. Il
anship. But judgment a. to whether the =,
ice is steep for the book or not must ;,
pend somewhat on the proper tion of ~
lue that must be accorded to Mr. ,
Jaws pretty essay-we assume that oven y
Q Roycroft Shop allows something for a
Q essay itself and will conceds tnat II sS
ars some relationship to the value of
Q production as a whole.
And that suggests another natural in tf
Try: Which, in the view OF the Row oi
'tt Shop, is OF the more concern, the =, -.
N or the setting? AS we turn over tn. >,
'utifnl pages OF son Going 10 Church, IN
closing the dainty book regard its m
vitching style and color, an exquisite In
ume indeed. We can but admit that Fl
s is worth One Dolar-to make a pift To-
to some friend. After ell there are .,'
niy OF books to read and books to a. az
IN without number. -,