EVERY ONE is thinking about Christmas presents. Let me make a suggestion. What is wanted in an ideal Christmas present is something that is quite new, that is permanently useful, and that cannot fail to give pleasure to the recipient. If at the same time it can continually renew that pleasure in the course of the year, so much the better, but such gifts are rare. When you are buying a present for relative or friend, you are haunted by the fear lest he or she has already got just the very article you are selecting for them. Then there is the question. whether or not they will bety pleased with your choice, and over and above all there comes the ghastly reflection that even if they have never had it before, and even if they do like it, it will not be an atom of use to them, and the day after Christmas it will be thrown on one side and never glanced at again. Now I have a suggestion to make which will, I am sure, commend itself at once to the judgment of my readers. Why not make a point of selecting the first two cases of the "Penny Poets" as Christmas presents for your friends? They only cost one-and-sixpence each. They make a neat and handsome present, showing better for the price than anything in the market. You cannot have been forestalled by any one, because last Christmas the "Penny Poets" did not exist. The cases No. 1 and No. 2 for the first two quarters' issues of the " "Penny Poets " have only been issued this month, and at the moment of writing not five hundred of No. 1, and none of No. 2 have yet been issued. The case stands handy on the library book shelf, while each of the twelve parts within can be at once taken out and read separately. In each case there are over six hundred clearly-printed pages of the best poetry in the world. The contents of No. 1 and No. 2, which can be had separately or together at 1s. 6d. each of any bookseller, or by post from this office for 1s. 10d. each, are as follows: Dragon. From Spenser's "Faerie Poems of John Keats. Scott's "Lady of the Lake" Poems of Tom Hood. Here is an unfailing and inexhaustible spring of the purest literary delights. What better present or one more likely to be permanently remembered with gratitude? For those who wish to give a more expensive present there is the tasteful corner bookcase, constructed to hold the whole set of the poets, and some of the forthcoming set of Penny Popular Novels. Such corner cases we have both plain and painted at various prices. For a handsome, showy, useful present, there are few articles that can be more strongly recommended than the 10s. 6d. "Poet's Corner," hand painted and finished with celluloid facing. It will be sent with a complete set of the "Penny Poets" up to date, post free, to any part of the three kingdoms for 13s. "Poet's Corner" boxes plain, the same design, cost 7s. 6d. post free or 10s. with poets up to date. Smaller boxes of plainer design are to be had at 3s. 1d. plain and 4s. painted. If the poets up to date are ordered it will be 2s. 6d. extra in each case. Or we can supply a series of twenty-four Portraits of the Poets, beautifully executed in colours, for 3s. post free. A complete list will be found in our advertisement pages at the end of this magazine. Those who wish to make a Christmas present to their villagers, their work-people, their scholars or their servants, will probably find that they cannot give more pleasure than by subscribing for one of our library boxes. For three pounds, I will supply carriage paid on loan a box of sixty volumes of books, replacing it at the end of six months without extra charge by another box containing sixty volumes of different books, which can remain on loan till the end of the year. If only one box is wanted for six months, it will be sent anywhere for 30s. As the sixty volumes contain as many as eighty complete books, the subscriber can, for 30s., secure for his neighbours, or his schools, or his workpeople, six months' reading of eighty capital books. This is a Christmas present that will not be forgotten. BRITISH CHRISTENDOM AND THE DRINK QUESTION. "Ir the Church of God in Chicago were organised as a unit," I used to ask, "what could it not do?" It would really seem as if the very enormity of the evils connected with the drink traffic in this country were about to compel our various Christian denominations to organise as a unit in the cause of Temperance. The Conference held at London House, under the presidency of the Bishop of London, early in November, was one of the most notable gatherings that have been held of late years. The only mistake appears to have been the omission of the Jews, who on this question are more Christian than Christians. The following is the official report of the first attempt made in this country to obtain a united expression of the opinion of the Church of God, in all its various branches, upon a social and moral question of national magnitude: A PARLIAMENT OF THE CHURCHES. Those present, in addition to the Bishop of London, were :CHURCH OF ENGLAND.-The Bishops of Durham, Winchester, Chester, St. Asaph, and Rochester; Dean of Hereford; Archdeacon Wilson; Canons Scott Holland and Moberly. ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.-Cardinal Vaughan. BAPTISTS.-The Revs. J. G. Greenhough (president of the Baptist Union), John Clifford, S. H. Booth (secretary of the Baptist Union), T. H. Morris, George Short, and F. B. Meyer. CONGREGATIONALISTS.-The Rev. Urijah Thomas (President of the Congregational Union), Alexander Mackennal, Morley Wright, and S. B. Paton. ENGLISH PRESBYTERIANS.-The Revs. Oswald Dykes and ·R. E. Welsh. SOCIETY OF FRIENDS.-Theodore Neild, Joseph Rowntree, Francis W. M. Fox, and Stephen Bourne. UNITARIANS.-The Revs. Dr. James Martineau and Professor Estlin Carpenter. WESLEYAN METHODISTS.-The Rev. Hugh Price Hughes, Charles Garrett, C. K. Kelly, H. T. Pope, T. B. Stephenson, and H. B. Workman. OTHER METHODIST BODIES.-The Revs. H. T. Marshall, John Thomley, and W. Goodman. ESTABLISHED CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.-The Right Rev. Dr. Donald Macleod, Revs. James Paton (convener of the Committee on Temperance), James Robertson, and Walter Tait (members of the Committee on Temperance). EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.-Bishop of Aberdeen. FREE CHURCH.-The Revs. D. M. Ross and Lewis Davidson. UNITED PRESBYTERIANS.-The Rev. Robert Primrose. Letters expressing sympathy with the aims were received from the following, who were unable to be present: the Bishops of Manchester, Lichfield, Southwell, Moray and Ross, Argyll and Glasgow, and Dean Vaughan, the President, ex-President, and Secretary of the Wesleyan Conference, Dr. Bannermann, Dr. Regg, Dr. Hava, Dr. Berry, Professor George Stacey Smith, Dr. Fairbairn, Dr. M'Laren, the Rev. John Watson, and many others. ITS RESOLUTIONS. The following resolutions were adopted : (1) That this Conference desires to recognise the importance of vigilant and firm administration of our present licensing laws; and, while cordially appreciating the progress which has already been made in this respect, under the influence of a more enlightened public opinion, is convinced that much remains to be accomplished by a fuller use of existing legislative powers. (2) That in the opinion of this Conference the following reforms are ripe for legislation: (a) The more effective treatment of habitual inebriates; (b) further restriction of Sunday trading (England); (c) registration of clubs; (d) raising the age under which the sale of alcoholic liquors to young persons for their own consumption is illegal; (e) determining an age under which delivery of alcoholic liquors to very young children shall be illegal; (f) shortening of the hours during which public-houses shall be opened on week days, subject to discretion of local authorities to make exceptions where necessary. (3) That in the opinion of this Conference the further and more difficult problems of licensing reform can best be dealt with tentatively on the principle of local option, viz., that each community should, within lines laid down by Parliament, be enabled to choose between various methods for the control of licensed victualling within its area. (4) That since such various methods involve the consideration of acutely controversial questions, her Majesty's Government be petitioned to appoint a Parliamentary Committee of both Houses to inquire into the matter. (5) That to the same Committee the following important subjects should be referred: (a) The tied house system : (b) The expediency of placing beer-houses licensed before 1869 on the same footing as other public-houses with regard to renewals of licences; (c) Grocers' licences; (d) The existing system of appeal in cases of decisions affecting the renewal of licences from the Licensing Justices to Quarter Sessions. (6) That copies of these resolutions be forwarded to leaders of all political parties and to members of Parliament, and also to the authorities of the different religious denominations and temperance organisations, with the request that meetings may be held and resolutions passed. THE BRIGHTON CIVIC CENTRE. THE Brighton Civic Centre, which was formed in 1892, has done good work in years past. It has devoted its attention principally to four questions upon which the civic conscience of Brighton was practically agreed. These questions were-first, the housing and lodging of the working classes; secondly, the promotion, by seeing that existing legislation and local machinery were put in operation, of temperance, personal cleanliness and improved moral and sanitary conditions generally; thirdly, the establishment of free news rooms and branch libraries; and, fourthly, the election of suitable persons for local public bodies. On all these questions the Centre has done good work by constantly reminding the public of their duties as citizens. At present the Centre is principally devoting its attention to the unemployed question and to the housing of the working classes. It has, however, been felt for some time that the constitution of the Centre should be reorganised, so as to enable it to do more effective work than in the past. It now consists of an Executive Committee, Auxiliary Committees, to assist the Executive, and thirdly, a Debating Section. It may be of interest to other centres to give a list of the Auxiliary Committees which have been formed: (1) A Watch Committee, to certain members of which, acting as sub-Committees of the entire body, special duties are or will be allotted (watching and reporting proceedings of various local authorities). This Committee acts also collectively as an Election Committee, examining and reporting upon the qualifications of candidates at Municipal, School Board, Guardians, etc., elections. (2) A Finance Committee, whose duties are to assist the Hon. Treasurer, who acts as its permanent chairman. (3) A Lecture Committee, to assist the Hon. Secretary in making necessary arrangements for public meetings, lectures, etc., co-operating also with the Debating Section. (4) A Literary Committee, to assist the Hon. Secretary in drafting pamphlets, leaflets, petitions, etc., THE HE popularity of our Circulating Library is still increasing. It has only been in existence a little over six months, but we have already over two hundred boxes in circulation. This is more than double the number which it was expected would be required during the first year. As the scheme becomes better known the demand for boxes grows apace. During the last two months we sent out seventy boxes of books. The larger and dearer boxes were in greater demand, some fifty being despatched to various parts of the country. Fifty boxes went to parishes and small towns in England; Scotland and Wales each took six, and Ireland four. While new subscribers are continually joining, most of the first subscribers have renewed their quarterly supply of books, and in many parishes throughout the land the REVIEW OF REVIEWS Circulating Library has become an established institution. One encouraging sign is that the parish councils are at last beginning to move in this matter. Although very few have adopted the Libraries Act, some half-dozen within the last few months have undertaken to collect voluntary subscriptions from the more wealthy ratepayers, and to manage the distribution of the books themselves. But The librarian of the Leeds Public Library some time ago proposed that all villages which possessed any number of volumes should hand them over to the County Councils. He suggested that the County Councils should then create a system of travelling libraries, distributing the books among the various parish councils situated in their administrative areas. The scheme, which is a modification of the New York State Travelling Library, is excellent. There is no reason why each County Council should not organise its own travelling library. County Councils are slow-moving bodies, and it will probably be some time before they take up the idea. Meanwhile parish councils, or even County Councils, will probably find that our library is the nearest approach to anything of this kind which is at present in existence. The scheme of parish travelling libraries could be worked, even now, without the intervention of the County Councils. If a certain number of parish councils, in the same part of the country, desired to establish a circulating library for the benefit of their villagers, and would agree to interchange the boxes among themselves, we would be willing to allow them to select the books which would be included in their boxes. That is to say, supposing twelve councils, within short distances of each other, were to agree to take twelve boxes of books and circulate them amongst themselves, they would find it perfectly practicable to do so. They could agree upon the books they wished to circulate, and manage the distribution and changing of the boxes themselves, returning them to us at the end of the three years. In this way they would minimise the cost, and reduce it to not more than £5 a year per parish. For this sum they would obtain the reading of two hundred books and magazines in the course of the year. Probably when more of the councils recognise their duty in this respect something of this kind may be arranged. Several employers of labour have taken boxes of books for the use of their employés. A manufacturer in the North of Ireland, who employs three hundred girls, has ordered a box as an experiment, and hopes to extend the scheme if this should prove a success. A large workmen's club in connection with a Midland iron works has taken four boxes for the benefit of its members. Mr. Joseph Wright, of 219, Argyle Street, Glasgow, has had two thousand copies of his book, the "Laird Nicoll's Kitchen," strongly bound in buckram for free distribution among village libraries, Sunday-school libraries, etc. He will not only distribute them free, but is willing to pay the postage to any part of Great Britain. These are examples which I hope will be more generally followed in the future. Any member of our centres who wishes to have a better knowledge of books than that obtainable by mere desultory reading, would do well to join the National Home Reading Union. This association, which has its headquarters in Surrey House, Victoria Embankment, London, endeavours to promote systematic reading, which at the same time shall be recreative and instructive, among young and old, as a means of continued education. This end it tries to attain by the formation of its members into circles, which discuss the books which each member has previously read at home. The Union has drawn up courses of study on a great number of subjects, and supplies all information as to the books required, their cost, and the order in which they should be read. I print here the list of the subjects dealt with in the various courses, in the hope that some of our members may be induced to join this excellent association:: SPECIAL COURSE (fee 3s. 6d. per annum). 1. English History, 16601815. 2. English Literature, 1630-1780. 3. Shakespeare. 4. Modern English Literature. 5. History of the British Colonies and Dependencies. GENERAL COURSE (fee 1. Economic and Science. 2. History. 3. Biography. YOUNG PEOPLE'S COURSE 1. History and Biography. 2. Literature (Prose and Poetry). 6. General Literature (Mediæval and Early Renaissance). 7. Modern French. 8. Modern German. 10. Economic (Political and Commercial) Geography. 28. per annum). 5. Science. 6. Literature. 7. Old Greek Life. (fee 1s. 6d. per annum). 3. Romance and Travel. 4. Science. 5. Miscellaneous. Some Diaries. FROM Messrs. John Walker and Co. (of Warwick Lane, E.C.) we have received an assortment of their admirable "loop-back" pocket-book diaries. The fact that in each case the pencil fits into a loop formed by the back of the leather cover, gives the books their peculiar usefulness; and their page arrangement is convenient and sensible in the extreme, providing just as much space and information as is likely to be called upon. No. 191 (4s.), in Russian leather, of waistcoat pocket size, is one of the best; No. 67 (2s.) is larger, but of slim shape, giving, of course, far more room for notes; while the pocket-book de luxe is No. 197 (88.) "The New Tablet Diary (3s. 6d.), for the desk, is a novelty likely to be popular. Messrs. De La Rue's (Bunhill Row, E.C.) selection of diaries, pocket-books and desk calendars, are particularly likely to gladden feminine hearts. They certainly make admirable presents. No. 3544 is business-like enough, however-a purse, diary and pocket-book combined; No. 2062 is a dainty cardcase and diary for ladies, bound in crushed-morocco, while No. 4123 of full letter-size is convenient and not too bulky. They also publish a series of desk calendars, with or without spaces for appointments, which are worth seeing; and a series of tiny "thumb diaries," no bigger than a finger of the hand. |