Everyone Can Have Good Books

A lady writer in the Michigan Farmer, i the "Home Chats with Farmer's Vives," gives the following that should e, and probably will be of interest to 11 of our country and village readers, t is a wonderfully fine Uring for every ommunity : "While attending tlie annual meetng of the Michigan Woman's Press Asociatioti at Lansing last week, the Iousehold editor paid a visit to the tate library, and became greatly inerested in the method recently adopted y means of which any resideu'a of t e tate, no matter how reniotely located, lay obtain the 'benefit of the books therein contained. "Almost the firstthing which attracted my attention upon entering, was a neat oaken case ontainingfifty volumes oL standard reading matter, which forms one of the traveling libraries, wliich by a law of our last, legislature are now being sent out over the state. "The books are selected very carefully and embrace works of religión, natural science, poetry, travel, history, and biography. A number of volumes of fiction are also found in these libraries, although no one need look for any gi-eat proportion of it, and what there is, is of the best. The case in readiness to be sent out at the time of my visit contained by way oí fiction some of the works if W. L. Alden, Amelia E. Barr, Richard Harding Davis, Helen Hunt Jackson, Thomas Nelson Page, Sir Walter Scott, iobert Louis Stevenson and Kate Dougas Wiggin, twelve volumes in all. "Special selection will be made in case any reading circle or association so desires in order to cover some special :eriod in history, or in order to furnish Information npon any special subject; out a selection of fiction entirely will not be allowed. "In order to avail themselves of tliis opportunity twenty-five tax payers of any coinmunity may make application to the State Librarían who will furnish the blanks necessary to be filled, when a case of the books will be sent thein. Tliis set of fifty books may be kept six months if desired. or it may be changed for another set at the end of tliree months ; tlius affording au opportunity of havrag two hundred volumes in a year. The total cost is five dollars a ' year. "Another way in which these books may be obtaiued is for any library of 1,000 volumes or over to mak? ion for associate membership with the State library. ín this way any libran containing the required nuinber oí booka to entitle it to this membership may receive the traveling librarles in the sanie way upon the payment of the flve dollars a year the same as the tax payers. "Still another feature of the new law is that upon request of the librarían of associate library, the State Librarían may issue to such associate library any book which may be called for by any patrón of such library, except such books, pamphlets, papers, etc, which in the discretiou of the State Librarían cannot consistently be spared from' the State library. Expense of transportation of such book to be borne by the person sending for it. "Itseems to me that no law has been made which is more beueflcial to the residente of the State at large than this, which practically brings the State Library within the reach of its remotest inhabitant. Man}' an isolated commnnity will now receive all the benefits of direct comunication with the libraries of our large cities. It gives an opportunity for intellectual development never before to be had in the rural districts. Only one State besides our own, I believe, has made a move in this direction. New York bas these traveling libraries in circulation governed by the same rules as ours. "And now, sisters, let us avail ourselves of this unparalelled opportuuity to supply ourselves with good reading. If there is no library in your vicinity through which the offer rnay be made available, surely it will not be a difficult matter to obtain the twenty-five tax payers and receive the library through them. In our own neigborhood we have our L. L. A. through which I have already made such application and expect soon to receive a case of the books. "Further information mav be had by addressing the State Librarían at Lansin.tr. "Mrs. Mary F. Spencer of the library bas been largely instrumental in carrying this sclieme through and is anxious that it be generally taken advantage of by residents of the State. "Thinkof having access to fllty books of our best authors every tliree months ! Is not the very thought inspiring ? Let us take advantage of this most generous offer of the State of Michigan to benefit ourselves."