New-York tribune., 1899-05-07
Gbe Nemalork Gribnare
ILLUSTRATED SUPPLEMENT.
SUNDAY, MAY Z, 1899.


A pretty binding will sometimes help to sell
n book of poems or novel, and, indeed, a
realization of this fact has latterly created
vertable school Of coyer-designers, but one BIZ
mingham bookseller boldly protests against the
present large production of books pretty ana
handy" Neither quality is undesirable, he
says, but one may have too much OF good
thing. and he sighs for books issued in "a solid
"and noble format, like the Cambridge Shakes
"Deare." We sympathize with that bookseller.
The beauty of little books like the Temple
Classics" is such that no one could wish to
exclude them from his library, but it is one
thing to have a few such books in small case
and another thing to attempt to fill long shelves
with them. Pretty and handy books are in
valuable for small libraries in houses only oc-
cupied during the summer, for fishing excur-
sions, for railway travel, and there are occa-
slons when they fit into the statelest OF
libraries anywhere. Some books are meant to
be printed in small form. But the book four
inches high should never be allowed to super
sede the royal quarto and folio and we hope
the plaint Of our serious bookseller will be
needed. The success of a series published in
small form is apt to start another series, and
that one starts another, until the counters OF
the booksellers are covered with booklets.
This means cheap literature and so is douby
welcome, but It ought not to decrease the vogue
of books printed in nobler, stateler form.
Illuminating genially on "The Sense Of HUI
NOR the Editor of "The Saturday Review
opines that 1t Is of course precious gift-but
ought not to be abused Is there not something
uncOnsclOusly humorous in this notion! Nat
urally one does not want TO do violence TO GER
tain feelings and ideas by letting ones sense OF
lumOr play too fecklessly around them, but
what a droll thing it is to warn men against
humOr at this stage of civilization! Is there
anything that men so frequently lack? We OBJ
serve their barrenness especially in matters OF
literature After ALL it is not merely vulgarity
and ignorance that are doing so much harm in
some books and magazines nowadays. 1t is
the absence of the sense of humOr. NOvelistS
of awful medocrity who do incalculabc harm,
debasing the mental currency right and left, are
often the most amiable creatures, wellmean-
ing even anxious to be of service to their con
temporarics. but utterly unable TO see their own
worthessness as writers. They have not the
sense of humor and, accordingly they never
see the true relations of things They think
their positions in the universe are normal. The
incongruity Of their popularity never occurs TO
them How do they know, poor souls, that
they are prcposterous? 1t is not likely that
they will ever learn. ''rhe sense Of humor
as "The Saturday" well observes. lis an at
'tributc which no man of our race will ever
Gown himself to lack" This universal convlc-
ton, in itself a funny thing, is sad enough in
some relations. The man who goes on writing
stupid books when sense of hUmOr would
save him is only rendered tragic by his proud
belief that no one Is "kecner" than himself in
seeing funny point
1t must have been person with very
'Bcen' sense of humor who devised certain
book recently published. 1t is entitled Books
Have Read" Every other page Of handsome
white paper bears in the corner these headings:
soIitIn Aufhor" "publiShpr" 'Whpn and