The times., 1898-10-27
THE FAMILY BIBLE.
1t Is Now Out of Date and Few Cop
les Are Sold.
From the New York Times.)

(From the New York Tmes.)
The family Bible, which at one time
played such an important part in most
families, and was almost as important d
part of the wedding as The ceremony, Is
now very much out of date 1t is Old
fashioned. and wherever ii is seen as a
window ornament standing on table
where it is in plain sight of all passers=
by, it may be taken for granted that the
family which belongs to that house and
Bible hasn't the least bit OF style.
1t is a good many years now since the
family Bible figured so prominently at
weddings, and it is rather surprising to
find that there are still so many of them
to be seen by the observant traveller along
the city streets. But going through the
more quiet resident streets of Brooklyn
counting Bibles the statistician would be
surprised at the figures he would reach.
The exodus of the Bible does not reflect,
as some people might think, upon the
morals and manners of the city or the
religious tendencies of the individuals. 1t
denotes rather an era of common sense
for which this generation Is noted in
many ways. If there is anything more
useless than the big parlor table Bible
it would be hard to find. 1t is large, un-
wieldly, and difficult to use. Il is too
large and heavy to hold in the lap, and
neither comfortable nor convenient
A large. handsomely bound leather Bible,
| illustrated, is expensive, and II ruins 1t to
| throw open the big covers and let them
| fall back upon the table. A big Bible
| bound in crimson Turkey morocco and
| without illustrations costs SIS, 1t is pos
sible that in some houses these ornaments
| have been used. but it is doubtful If in
| many families possessing them they are
| ever opened.
A generation or two ago the family
| Bible was valuable because of Its records
but the records are seldom kept now. Peo-
| pie are living too fast to stop and write
| down the name when there is a birth oil
| death in the family, and such records are
| not always agreeable to the younger mem
| bers of the family as they grow to be the
| older members, and in one way and an
| other the practice has been given up.s
| In the American Bible Society rooms
| where an enormous number of Bibles are
| disposed of in the course of year, tht
fact is borne out that large family Bible:
are not in demand as they have been
There have been 20 per cent less sold or
an average during the last ten years. they
| say, than before, and those that have
been bought have been taken by tn,
grandmothers, old aunties, and occasional
ly the mothers, who feel that they can
| not let the young people begin life with
out the big Bible. Occasionally youns
people buy a big Bible for the father an,
| mother, but not often.
But instead of the big family Bible thert
is smaller size which has taken its plac,
and which is really useful. This is good
| sized book bound in dark Turkey moroc
| CO, and with references and maps. 1t ha:
large plain type (small pica), is not to'
large to hold, and is a -serviceable. book
1t costs $5.25, and really. merits the ap
/, pellation of family Bible rather than thu
other, which has Its place in the com
| pany room.
Women are the chief purchasers of al
Bibles sold, and at the Bible Society room
they form perhaps two-thirds of the pur'
chasers.