The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-06
"OVER rME BOOKCOUNTER i'm THE BUSY CHRISTMAS SEASON.
Character Studies Of the Buyers
of the --latest Fiction" and
of Other Books of
All Kinds.

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
During the christmas rush. the booi
store is place vel worth visiting. vert
II only to study types.
II in one particular more than another
men and women lay bare their true
selves. 1t is in their book tastes.
Reading, after all, is a matter OF Kill
time or use time, habit or an occupa-
ton. Very. YER few books can be all
things to all men. and. hence. the many,
many grades in even the one department
of books-fiction.
Good, bad and Indifferent books arc
deliberately put forth by the publishers
to meet the demands OF persons good. bad
and Indifferent in their literary tastes.
All these good. bad and Indifferent per
Sons are to be seen at the book counter
buying their mental o3iates or stimulants.
purchasing Information or dream pills.
They iostIe each other, handle the books.
comment upon them. sometimes purchas-
ing, sometimes not, but In the end con-
tributing of their hard-earned money to
the vast sum spent in the United States
annually. which keeps the writer's writing.
the poets poetizing the printers printing
and the publishers publishing
Day by day. after December l. business
Is attuned to higher and livelier note in
the booksellers shops until 1t reached the
climax the day before Christmas.
Then slump. Then new novels no
longer are new.
Presents are bought. The ligh. ltera-
ture appetite temporarily is stated; and
TO the popular mind-all that literature
includes is summed Up in light literature.
The Girl with the Big Boa was in
Roeder's with her bosom friend, The Girl
with the Frizzly Hair.
The name OF the Girl with the Big Boa
was Gwendolyn. Gwen for short The
name OF the Girl with the Frizzlv Hair
was Helen. Nell for short.
The Girl with the Big Boa was tail and
strikingly beautiful, having the kind of
figure. features and coloring and carriage
that takes ones breath away The Girl
with the Frizzly Hair was-weil. Just the
Girl with the Frizzly Hair-small. snub-
nosed. not nearly SO daringly dressed. Is
sort of negative pole to the Girl with
the Big Boa.
The Girl with the Big Boa charged down
upon the Clerk with the Long Neck. who
presided over the new novel counter.
Are there any new novels?" she asked
The Clerk with the Long Neck, visibly
Impressed by his customer. pointed to the
numberless volumes before him.
"All new. Miss" he replied. What kind
would you like? Now here's The Call Of
the Wild by Jack London. about a dog"
On. Gwen. put In the Girl with the
Fnzzly Hair, who by this time had
reached the scene. don't buy anything
by that Jack London: he's Socialist, and
that's the same as an Anarchist heard
papa say so-even II he is good-looking."
What on eartf's the difference II he 4,
Socialist. 30 long as he's good-lookinE?"
retorted the Girl with the Big Boa. And
ere you sure-is he Socialism This last
directed at the Clerk with the Long Neck.
The clerk equirmed the long neck In en-.
barrassment, being unable to answer. It
was not his province to know the politics
Of authors. but. rather, to sell books
However. the Girl with the Biz Boa
spared him. She didn't wait for answer.
She picked up the book and opened II,
kWhy. It IL about a dog" she remarked
strprtsedly. unpleasant for the clerk since
1t intdmated she doubted the truth of his |
original statement Its about q bull |
dog"
'1hst ought to settle IT, heatedfy nut
IN the Girl with the Ffizzfy Hair 'buil- |
dogs arc tho ugliest things. It's Just like
q Socialist to write about a bulldog.
Gwen. say Gwen (this in a loud whispsr), |
look at Minnie NJ over there; she's got
. new dress and it's Just the ugliest thing. |
That girl never did have any taste"
"And II that isn't John w. with herr
exclaimed the Girl with the Big Boa ex-
citedly. what In the world can he sec in
that powdered reature7 No, don't want
tho book with much asperity, to the utter
humiliation Of tho Clerk with the Long