New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-12
LONDON HOLIDAY BOOKS.
GGmpses of the Stalls, scith Treas
ures for Rich and Poor.
London. November

the yule log and the mistletoe have become
storied traditions. like the wassai bowl and the
peacock pie. Christmas crackers remain. for
English children could not exist without them
until Candlemas, but the holiday boxes have
been sacrificed on the altar OF domestic econ
omy. With local taxation at the highest level
ever known in the metropolis and with the in
come taxes and house duties squeezing the life
out of people Of moderate means it has become
impossible for the prudent householder to give
tips to tradesmen's boys street scavengers, post
men, district messengers and other applicants
at the door. Quarter day comes during the mol
idays and it is followed by the eXactions OF the
internal revenue collectors. and between house
rent and income tax the surplus for Christmas
shopping is not generous-retrenchment IN unii-
censed charity is the order OF the day. The
times are hard because the expenses Of living
have increased steadily during the last decaae
IL London. and the book trade profits BY them
because il has adapted itself 10 the requirements
of economy. Never have books been cheaper or
more tasteful. and certainly the stocks in the
Piccadilly shops have never been larger or more
varied.
Art books are costly enough 10 appeal alike to
millionaire collectors and pennyWise economists
There is a ten guinea edition Of Nj Byron
webber's James Orrock. Painter. Connosseur,
Collector limited 10 800 numbered copies and
published in two volumes. with nearly two hun
dred photogravure plates and half tones. Mr.
Orrocks collections of portraits, water colors
and blue china are well represented in these
handsome volumes. and his sketchbOOks, with
the wayside labors OF half a century, have been
freely drawn upon. There is also a luxurious
record for six guineas. Of the career of Mr.. Sar-
gent as a portrait painter with sixty-two plates
of his best known pictures and with intro
ductory note by Mrs. Meynel. Mr.. Gerald S
Davies the author OF an admirable study of the
art of Frans Halls. has prepared the text for a
crown folio on Hans Holbein. which is sold
for five guineas II contains ia photograVure
plates and reproductions, and is one OF the most
attractive art books Of the season The Mac
rniIlans have a portfolio Of sixteen illustrations
for Mr. Kiplins's Jungle Book" which they are
limiting TO $40 copies and selling for five
guineas. These Illustrations are reproduced in
color from the original drawings and are among
the handsomest examples Of the art Of lithog-
raphy. There is also cheap edition for
guinea Of Emile MicheIs Rembrandt: Ills Life
His Work and His Time" and there is a half
guinea Whistler" by Mr.. T. r. Way and Mr..
Ravenscroft Dennis with reproductions i'm half
tones and colors of his greatest works i'm oils.
water colors, pastel and etching. Another art
work Of moderate cost is Mr.. Arthur Thomson's
'AGillet and the Barbizon School" with over fifty
reproductions A more sumptuous book, designed
for collectors is AIezzotintS." by Mr.. cyril Day
export, with forty plates, and an even costlier
one is The Romance of Tristan and Iseult."
rendered into English by MIR. Belloc and illus
trated in color by Mr.. Robert Engels. Mr.. Charles
Dana Gibson's The Weaker Sex with eighty
large cartoons, is also displayed on the holiaay
book tables, and old Quebec by Sir Gilbert
Parker and Mr. c G. Bryan. is also ccnspic-
uous. Mrs Meynelrs Children OF the old Mas
tiers" is a TWO guinea book. The new Romney
cannot be bought for a song. but there are COM
plete and erudite china manuals for five shill-
ings, and there are admirable volumes on Con-
stable. Turner and Rembrandt in the Miniature
Series of Painters for two shiIIings.
The London publishers display equal adapta-
bility in supplying standard editions for rich
and poor. Six volumes of Mr.. Aliens complete
edition Of John Ruskin's works edited by Mr..
Z. T. Cook and Nj Alexander Wedderburn.
have been ISSUED, and the series viii ultimately
include thirty-tWo volumes. 1t is limited edi-
ton Of two thousand copies, and each volume
costs guinea Rich collectors alone can af-
ford 10 buy so costly an edition, with its bio
graphical material and selections from Mr.. Rus
kins diaries and letters, but the bookshops are
filled with standard collections of Shakespeare
Thackeray and the masters Of English prose
and verse. and for half a crown, or even
eighteenpence, each volume can be purchased
in handsome type and binding; and sixpenny
standards are not uncommon. The master
pieces of classic foreign and English litera-
ture. edited with scholarship and clearly print
ed On good paper, are sold for a shilling and "A
sixpence, and learned commentaries upon the
Bible. and manuals of every period Of history
and every branch of practical science. are
brought within the reach of poor parsons and
Industrious apprentices. The London booBshops
bear testimony 10 the marvellous cheapenina of
literature. SO true is it, that good literature
al
millionaire may reyel i'm mis- costly editions but
he cannot find better employment for his leisure
hours than The poor mechanics with their cheap
books. Like MI. Hamerton, when they turn
their pages, the poor scholars can say: Now
the only Cr0sUs that I envy IS he who IS rea D.
ing a better book Than this"
Seldom has the Christmas market been so we'll
stocked wiki biographies Mr. Morley's Glad
stone" in three volumes, heads the list and is
having large sale, since it is the most con-
spcuous addition TO the political history Of the
victorian reign as well as "A sympathetic record
OF noble life. Lore Woseley'S aurobioerapb,-
IS the favorite work among army officers. even
II the most interesting chapters respecting Tel
el-heDlr and the Nile campaigns remain IrDv.rit-
ten and his views respecting military, reor-
ganization are kept I'm reserve. NJ de RIovjtz's
Memoirs has already passed INTO =, fourth
edition II may be uvaIIel I'm POPULARITY b,.
the Records and "Reminiscences Of Sir Fran
els Burnand, with its buoyant spirit and shark
ling Wit. There are many interesting bioerar,fi-
cal studies, such as Sir Herbert MaxgyaIl,s So
lections from The diaries and letters IF Thomas
Creevey. Lady BurehcIere's George vHIs--s,. ~
the Restoration period, and TIE new volume Of
personal reminiscences OF the Dul., sr lt-.....
ton. by the first Earl of EHesmere. Mrs Ste,,srt
ErSkIne's Lady Diana Of F.ea,icIar,ly,, So . -