arge as it was ten or fifteen years ago. It is
no exaggeration to say that there is scarcely a young man or woman now
living who has not read and profitted by one or more of Oliver Optic's
stories.

Among the other successful writers whom Lee and Shepard brought into
notice was Miss Rebecca S. Clark, known the world over by her pseudonym
of "Sophie May." Her first book was "Little Prudy," which achieved a
reputation not surpassed by that of Miss Alcott's "Little Women." This
first volume was rapidly succeeded by others by the same author, which
in turn won favor, and are now grouped in the catalogue in series,
namely: "Little Prudy Series," "Little Prudy's Flyaway Series," "Dotty
Dimple Series," and "Flaxie Frizzle Stories," each comprising six
volumes. All of these books grew into the people's hearts, and ere long
the newspapers noticed them, the magazines devoted large space to
reviewing them, and the stately and sober-minded "North American
Review," in a characteristic article, from Colonel Higginson's pen was
led to say of their merits:

"Genius comes in with 'Little Prudy.' Compared with her, all other
book-children are cold creations of literature only; she alone is the
real thing, all the quaintness of childhood, its originality, its
tenderness and its teasing, its infinite unconscious drollery, the
serious earnestness of its fun, the fun of its seriousness, the natural
religion of its plays and the delicious oddity of its prayers--all these
waited for dear Little Prudy to embody them."

Such a verdict, from so exalted authority, has had its effect. The
demand for Sophie May's books has been almost unprecedented. Inspired by
her success in this line the author has also written several volumes for
older readers, and they, too, have proved successful.

Another author, who has held a prominent place in the firm's catalogue,
is Mr. George M. Baker. Although he has done much for the entertainment
of the young people in the line of story-telling, his greatest success
has been found in his series of amateur dramatic books, which have long
ago become standard. I would not undertake to mention how many "plays"
he has written; but to simply read the "mail orders" for such literature
or watch customers as they come and go from "headquarters," would
incline everybody to believe that he had produced about all that are
ever needed.

Lee and Shepard's catalogue embraces the names of a great many authors,
to even enumerate