letters upon the clear white page. In the Riverside Aldine Series, published in 1885, a long step was taken in the progress which has always been maintained. The special limited editions designed by Mr. Bruce Rogers, and now issuing from the Riverside Press, are scarcely more beautiful, typographically, than the "regular" publications of Messrs. Houghton, Mifflin & Co., their distinguishing features being rather the finer paper used and the small number of copies printed. In the special edition of Lowell's "Democracy," for instance, the type was especially cast for this book, and, while of great beauty, it is of the same general order as the usual Riverside type. The page of this book may seem to many unfortunately narrow, an effect produced partly by the large type, which brings too few words on a line for

the most satisfactory result to the eye. But in an edition of Sir Walter Raleigh's account of "The Last Fight of the Revenge at Sea," now in press, the type, page form, and paper are alike beautiful with no need for qualification. We take pleasure in reproducing, somewhat reduced in size, the title-page of this book. The decorative wood-cut border, in the English Renaissance style, was designed by Mr. Frank Chouteau Brown; and the spirited drawing by Howard Pyle is in the manner which many consider his best. This book is printed on a hand-press, the title-page from the original wood blocks, and the text from type. Only 300 copies are to be printed. The Riverside Press possesses two faces of type of marked distinction, one called the "Brimmer" type, which is used in the edition of "Democ

MARION CRAWFORD IN HIS " LOFT" IN NEW YORK.

racy" and several other books, and another called the "Montaigne," which is to be used in a folio edition of Montaigne's essays, the first volume of which is now in preparation. This is a large, bold type, modelled upon French designs of the fifteenth century, and cut by an American expert.

The volume called "American Authors and Their Homes," edited by Mr. Francis W. Halsey, and published last autumn by Messrs. James Pott & Co., was so favorably received that a companion volume, entitled "Authors of Our Day in Their Homes," has been prepared by Mr. Halsey and is now issued by the same publishers. The book consists of personal sketches originally printed in the Saturday Review of the New York Times, and is introduced with an essay called "Authorship in America," by Mr. George H. Warner. There are twenty-two sketches in the volume,

Inlander"; "The Game of Love," one of Mr. Benjamin Swift's ingeniously constructed romances; and "Monica, and Other Stories," by M. Paul Bourget. In connection with this book an exchange of international courtesies may be noted. "Monica" is dedicated "To Madame Edith Wharton," and Mrs. Wharton's masterly romance, "The Valley of Decision," is dedicated "To Paul and Minnie Bourget."

The collection of bookbindings by Charles Meunier, of Paris, which is now on exhibition in the retail department of

Messrs. Charles Scribners' Sons, is a remarkable showing of the work of a very eminent French binder whose profound knowledge of his trade has been taught him by life itself. "He began in the humblest practice," says his friend, M. Léon Thevénin, "before raising himself to the highest inspiration." His ambition consists in making a binding a sort of visible image translating the thought of the volume. The elaborate carving or inlaying of leathers, the definite triumph of tooling, and the perfection of skill in manipulating the most delicate of materials, mark his work. Nearly a hundred bindings are included in the exhibition, every one of which is impeccable in its kind. The very extravagance of his fancy cannot cloud the real splendor of his product. The two photographs which are printed herewith give

little effect of the gorgeous coloring of the bindings. As a whole, the bindings are far beyond anything hitherto shown here, of course, in their own class of highly imaginative design applied in carved and inlaid leathers and enamels.

In the March BooK BUYER we quoted one of the "inscription" poems in Bramble Brae," the collected verse of Mr. Robert Bridges, with the remark that we did not recall any similar collection of "fly-leaf poetry." But in Mr. Austin Dobson's second series of "Miscellanies," issued within a few weeks, we find a number of this poet's charming inscriptions, brought together, as the writer says in his preface, because preface, because "a wish has been expressed in several quarters that a few specimens of the little votive pieces dispersed

in various presentation copies of the author's works, should have the advantage of a wider publicity. Thus it comes about that the last pages of the book, in the historic words of Mr. Wegg, 'drop into poetry.' May they fall upon ears as attentive as those of Mr. Nicodemus Boffin ! Like Time, he was an eminent dust contractor, but at least he was appreciative."

From the handful of polished versicles we copy the thoroughly characteristic inscription}

FOR A COPY OF ROSINA.

What would our modern maids to-day? I watch and can't conjecture:

A dubious tale ?-an Ibsen play?—

A pessimistic lecture?

I know not. But this, child, I know;
You like things sweet and seemly,
Old-fashioned flowers, old shapes in Bow,
"Auld Robin Gray" (extremely);

You-with my "Dorothy "-delight
In fragrant cedar-presses;

In window corners warm and bright,
In lawn and lilac dresses;

You still can read, at any rate,
Charles Lamb and "Evelina";
To you, My Dear, I dedicate
This "Story of Rosina."