St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-12-24
THE FAMILY BIBLE.
4 Has Gone Ost II Date ana There
Are Not Many Of Them Sold
sm These T1mes.

The family Bible, which at one time
played such an important part in most
families, ant. was almost as important
IL part of the wedding as the ceremony,
II now very much out of date. 1t is
and wherever it is seen
n window ornament, standing on a
table where il is in plain sight of all
passers-by, i. may be taken for granted
that the family whicn belongs to that
khouse and Bible hasn't the least bit Of
fstyle.
1t is good many years now since the
family Bible figured ST. prominently at
weddings. and it is rather surprising to
find that there are still SO many OF
them to be seen by the observant trav.
eaer along the city streets. But going
Ethrough the more quiet residence
EBtreets Of Rrooklyn counting Bibles
the statistician would be surprised at
the figures he would reach.
The exodus Of the Bible does not re-
fleet. as some people might think, upon
the morals, AID manners of the city or
1.-THE religious tendencies of the individ.
Fuals. 1t denotes rather an era of COM
<mon sense fer which this generation is
noted in many ways. If there is any
thing more useless than the big parlor
table Bible it would be hard to find. 1t
kls large. unwieldy and difficult to use
] II Is too large and heavy to hold in the
lap. and reading from q big book on a
table Is neither comfortable nor con-
.xenient. A large, handsomely bound
heather Bible illustrated, is expensive
|Iend 1t ruin. it to threw open the big
covers and let them fall back upon the
|:tnble. A big Bible bound in crimson
Turkey morocco and without illustra-
|tions costs SIS. 1t 10 possible that in
.some houses these ornaments have been
|snaed. but II Is doubtful II in many
families possessing them they are ever
y 4 generation or two ago the family
Bible was valuable because of its rec
|5Drds. but the records are seldom kept
how. Peopl.' are living too fast to stop
md write down tn: name when there
D. birth or death In the family. and
kuch records are not always agreeable
F7fo the younger members of the family
Ms they grow t. be older members and
FSn one wny ~ another the practice has
been given up.
In the American Bible society rooms
where an enormous number of Bibles
are disposed of in the course Of year
the fact Is horne out that large family
Hiblcs are not in demand as they have
been. There have b.en 20 per cent. less
sold on nm average during the last ten
years. they say. than before. and those
that have been bought have been taken
by the grandmothers, old aunties and
occasionally the mother rs, who feel that
they cannot let the young people begin
life without tho big Bible. Occasion
ally young people buy big Bible for
k&He5mnther and father. but not often.
But instead Of the big family Bible
there is a smaller size which has taken
it's place AMI which Is really useful
This is a good sized book. bound in darl,
Turkey Morocco, aud with references
and maps. 1t has large. plain type
(small pica). is not too large to hold
and is n serviceable book. 1t costs $5.25
and really merits the appellation of the
family Bible rather than the other
which has its plac, in the company
room.
Women are the chief purchasers of all
Bibles sold, and at the Bible society
rooms they form perhaps two-thirds OF
the purcha sels.-N. Y. Times.