New-York tribune., 1902-10-25
BOOKS AND AUTHORS.
,zrYr TALK OF THINGS PRESENT
AND TO COME.

- IowelTs period OF active relation 10 the
r. slsverv movement being no longer than
,-.srs makes the amount OF his output on
object considerable. The theme was one
'ne snnealed 10 him and brought out all the
.s+ness of the reformer in him.
-Ao scribners are bringing cut a hook
-,-,+uslisnl. by Frank Podmore, I'm which he
hir,selr the task of determining how far.
an" the belief in spiritualism is justified.
-slsted 10 the main subject he considers
,..hcraft animal magnetism mesmerism,
,,.,-,,ovanoe and other coguate manifestations.
- y-orl OF the Society of PsychcaI Research
= r.+urauy given considerable attention. OF
=. famous medium. Mrs. Piper. Mr. Podnaore
-. .sIyithin the last decade the strongest
-.sSsroe adduoed IN the whole history of the
,rsrnent for the belief in the communion with
=. seed has been furnished by the trance-utter-
COS ~ Mrs. Piper, as interpreted in Or. Hodg
= veport: whilst within the same period the
s,,,csl manifestations occurring in the pres
- NJ an Italian medium. Eusapia Palladino.
s.,s seemed. and sun seem 10 many persons Of
,v,,nenoe in this country and on the Continent,
vorthy Of consideration as testifying 10 tho
-,obable operation Of forces unknown 10
s,,snce" Modern spiritualism. History and
criticism" is the title OF Mr.. Podmore's book.
,r,ss & T. Prideaux. an Englishwoman. who
-. von q name as a binder Of books Of special
s..,yn has written un0n her chosen work in
hook which the Scribners are TO issue in
,.-,,es edition OF FIVE hundred copies, under the
,ns OF ''Bookbinders and Their Craft" IL
,~s-rations VIII be included showing examples
= tbe work OF various binders, among them
,nss Prideaux herself and the cover viii be Of
y, working. English, Scottish. French and
,,wsn bindings are discussed, with early
ssnped binding and pattern making.
eP Putnam's Sons have on exhibition col
,sction Of choicely bound and rare books, illus
,r,ring the work Of several American, French
ana English binders. OF the work of Miss Pri-
5ssux there are several examples. The North
r,aran Folk" of Mr.. Comyns Carr, illustrated
nv csldecott, London, 1875. has a binding Of
cr,roson crushed levant. inlaid, and OF firm,
virile design. A striking design was used for
Filipi's sThree japanese Plays" This is bound
IN pigskin, upon which Miss Prideaux has
drawn in blind toong a few irregular lines 10
represent the ripples Of pond, upon which
number Of lilacs in gold are set. The end pa
pers are OF special design, showing two empty
shells on q white page, decorated on the inner
surfaces with japanese scenes. a copy OF Per-
rault's la Belle Au Bois Dormant decorated
by Lucien and Esther Pissaro, is bound by Miss
Prideaux in brown crushed levant with a con-
ventionalized Towering bush with heavy gold
leaves and blossoms. A copy OF Leigh Hunts
a Jar Of Honey" from the Hampstead Bind
cry Is bound in a design Of heavily FURNISHED
gold on white levant
William Morris's Note" on his aims IN found
ing the Kelmscott Press. the last book printed
there, is bound. by Sukeman, in steel blue le-
yaut with silk Innings. Fine examples Of the
t6cult detail OF getting gold surface in an
zpression on crushed leyant are exhibited in
specimens by Otto Zahn. OF Memphis. Tenn.
A striking example Of stipple work Is seen in
the copy Of Symonds's Many Moods" bound
by Johanna Birkenruth. in green crushed le-
want with doUblure Of lilac levant. Wors-
folds treatment OF Thackeray's Irish Sketch
Book" shows interior tooling the three
quarters border. A striking cover is that Of
VOltaire's 'Pucelle d'Orleans." executed by Da-
vid. in lemon crushed levant. inlaid. leather
joints. rough gold edges and silk Innings. Among
the many examples from the Knickerbocker
Press is a large paper edition Of William Win
ter's ''Shskespeare's England" with marginal
pen and ink drawings. There are also examples
Of covers by Zaehnsdorf. RivieTe, Wood, Morrell,
Miss Starr, Douglas Cockereu and others
The nature books as they are called, seem
10 have come 10 stay They are part and par
Gel Of the movement toward reoccupation Of
The country that is keeping pace with the older
but stil prevalent drift from village and coun-
Try 10 the metropolis According 10 publisher
whose house issues several Of these hooks each
season. the public demand for this sort OF fare
is undergoing change. The books that were
salabe only few seasons ago he said the
orher day, ARE impossible now. By this, mean
the quality Of such books is improving. Like
al other business. book making depends. like
j OF not, in large part on the demand. No con-
siderable publication can be made Of books
which do not sell. Now. few years ago, when
the interest in outdoor life was first being re-
vived any book with bird sprig Of golden
ROD on the cover would run into handsome
sales. But to-day unless book is really
worthy II is dead. The public. az whole has
teen educating Itself. and il knows when the
author has put together a mass Of poppycock
and when he has something worth consideration
70 offer Birds and fauna have been so wei
usVersed that nothing but The best books. and
ron some fresh manner Of approach are worth
Undertaking
The interest now has extended 10 animals.
We have always had a certain amount Of horse
breeding and dog fancying. but this general
concern over the entire animal kingdom, or
rather. over that part which IS observable To-
oa4ly, is comparatively new. say that part pe'
cause books In the old style which used 10 SET
'orth the traits ana idiosyncrasies OF elephants
ana slligators and giraffes ard zebras. are out
o. fashion now. People want 10 know about
squirrels and woodchucks and mud turtles
lhis has its comic side. Of course But great
part OF the world after al is nowadays CITY
nreo, or had 10 leave the country so early tha'
i lost the memory Of all detailed hunters cram
and wood lore and farm information and its de-
sire 70 have its ignorance dispelled or the lspses
IN its recollection refreshed is a healthy appe
te"