The True Benjamin Franklin.

Unitor, with "The True George Washington.") By Sydney George Fisher. athor of “ Men, Women, and Manners in Colonial Times," "The Making of Pennsylvania."ete With n.erous illestrations, portraits, and fac-sim.les. Crown octavo. C, th, $2.00,

The Nation's Navy.

OUR SHIPS AND THEIR ACHIEVEMINIS, By Charles
Morris. 12mo. Cloth, illustrated. $1.50.

The War with Spain.

A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE WAR OF 1598 BLIWFEN THE UNITED STATES AND SPAIN, By Charles Morris. 12.0. Cloth, with maps and Lustrati‚ns, $150. Un1form with "* The Nation's Navy."

Myths and Legends beyond our Borders.

By Charles M. Skinner. Four photogravure illustratons. 125.9. Cloth, gi.t top, $1.50, half calf or half morocco, $3 60. Uniform with "Myths and Legends of Our Own Land." Two volumes. The three volmes in a box. 12mo, Cloth, gilt top, $4.50; half calf or la.fn.cco. $9.00.

Literary Haunts, and Homes of Amer

ican Authors.

By Theodore F. Wolfe. M.D.. Ph.D. Illustrated with fur photogravures. 12mo. Crushed backram, gilt tp. deckle edges, $1.25: half caif or haif morocco, $3.00 Uniform with "Literary Shrines" and "A Literary P.grimage." Two volumes. The three volames in a 2x. 12no Crushed bu kram, gilt top. lekle ciges, $3 75; half calf or half Horocco, $9.00.

Do-Nothing Days Library.

DO-NOTHING DAYS. WITH FEET TO THE EARTH. By Charles M. Skinner. Lustrate hy photogravures from drawings by Violet Oakley and E. S. Holloway. Two volumes in a box. 12mo. Cloth, gilt top, deckle eges, $3.00: ha.f ca f. $6.00). Also sold separately.

Abbott's Nature Library.

CLEAR SKIES AND CLOUDY. RECENT RAMBLES. By Charles Conrad Abbott. Two volumes n box. Six ilustrations in each volume. 12.0. Cloth, gilt top. deckle edges, $3.00; half cart, 600. A so sed separ ately.

Historical Tales. Vols. VII and VIII.

VOL. VIL-RUSSIA. VOL. VIII. JAPAN AND CHINA, By Charles Morris, author of "Our Nation's Navy," "Half-Hour Series," etc. Lustrated. 12m Cloth, -125 per volume, half calf, $250.

Previously issued in this series: VOL. I.- AMERICA. VOL. II.-ENGLAND. VOL. III.-FRANCE. Vor. IV. -GERMANY, VOL V. GREECE. VOL. VI ROMF

Washington after the Revolution, 17841799.

By William S. Baker, author of "Itinerary of General
Washington," etc. Cloth, g..t top, $2.50

The Old Navy and the New.

Memoirs of Rear-Admiral Daniel Ammen, U. S. N.,
for more than half a century ashore and afat.
thor of The Atlantic Coast during the Civ. War.
With an Appendix of Personal Letters from General
Grant. Second Edition. I arge oʻtay). Handsome y
bound in cloth, $3.00.

The Reader's Handbook of Facts, Characters, Plots, and References.

New Edition, Entirely Reset, Revised and Enlarçel.
By Rev. E. Cobham Brewer. LL. D. Nw Edition
Crown octavo. Half morocco, $3.50

A Manual of Coaching.

By Fairman Rogers. Octavo
Hustrated.

500 pages

The Modern Marriage Market.

Profusely

By Marie Corelli. Hustrated. 16mo In press.

Lamb, Coleridge, and the Lloyds.

Ay dume of Lan.b's unpublished corresponden ener essary to complete any edition of his works

Vol. 3

No. 8

Buildings

Oscar Bluemner, Architect, Chicago

The Reading Room

The reading room always deserves the most careful design in its practical arrangements and its architectural effect. As to the former, proper light and perfect supervision are the two great objects to be aimed at, while its aspect should be dignified and quiet. The general figure of its floor plan may be square, round, octagonal or oblong, and above all of sufficiently large size, i. e. at least 400 square feet, in order to be impressive as the representative room of the building. Where strict economy requires a height not more than 10 or 12 feet, its shape is best oblong, but polygonal and round plans should be given a greater height of ceiling. By no means is it advisable to form an angle in the direction of the reading room, unless the superintendent has his place at that very angle. Many a reading room of even quite modern buildings shows recesses, alcoves, bay windows, and nooks, which are placed so out of the way of the superintendent's eye, that his task becomes difficult and vexing; besides such features, which are befitting a sitting room, spoil the public character of the place. A well-planned rectangular bay window, or semicircular extension to the plan, especially if given ample dimensions, will not only be very useful, say for a children's place or for reference tables, but also greatly enhance the architectural effect of the

columns carrying the girders of the ceiling, the architect must consider the arrangement of the tables, chairs, and passages, and take care that only the latter and not the readers will be hidden from the view of the librarian. The room should be entirely open toward the librarian's space, and from the vestibule it should be separated by a solid, sound-proof wall. Of its other sides it is best to open one as much as possible by large windows, and reserve the wall space of the other for book cases. Thus the books stand in full light, whereas their titles can only with difficulty be deciphered when shelved between windows at their piers. But, what is more important, the proposed arrangement means concentrated light; for it is this character of daylight in a room that favors the disposition of the mind when engaged in reading or studying. Everybody feels this effect and influence of various qualities and quantities of daylight, but very few, even architects, know how to proportion and distribute light according to the character and purpose of a room. On the European continent an architect takes care that a parlor has diffused light from several windows on two or more sides of the room, whereas he will give concentrated low light to an oblong dining room by a single large window; another way of lighting again suits a private library or study, another a chapel, etc. The chapter of light is a long one, and is still awaiting its incorporation in the general architecture