plans for a suitable structure, to bear
the name of the John Rylands Library. About the same time she commenced
the purchase of books, being aided in this by her friend, Mr. J. Arnold
Green, son of the Rev. Dr. Green, who, putting himself in communication
with various agents, collected a large number of standard books in
English and foreign literatures, including early Bibles, first editions,
and many other rare and valuable works, with several choice manuscripts
and autographs. The number of volumes purchased reached many thousands,
one of the acquisitions being the celebrated copy of the 'Biblia
Pauperum,' once belonging to the Borghese Library in Rome, at the sale
of which it fetched 15,800 francs. Up to this time a considerable amount
had been spent. When the announcement was made in 1892 that Earl
Spencer, the owner of the Althorp Library, was willing to dispose of
that famous collection, Mrs. Rylands at once felt that its possession
would be the crown of her whole scheme--accomplishing it with a
completeness of which she never dreamed when first she formed her plans.
Mr. Arnold Green accordingly at once communicated on her behalf with Mr.
Railton, of Messrs. Sotheran and Co., a firm which had been largely
employed by her in previous purchases of books. The result is that the
Althorp Library passed into Mrs. Rylands' possession, the price paid
being close on a quarter of a million sterling. The transaction is by
far the largest of its kind which has ever taken place in this or any
other country. It has been calculated that the Althorp Library cost its
founder about L100,000, and that it should have more than doubled in
value in less than a century is an extremely gratifying fact. It
contains a large number of unique and excessively rare books, which
nothing short of an upheaval in this country similar to the French
Revolution could place on the market. Those who depend upon such a
contingency to obtain a few of these splendid books are likely to wait
for a very long time.

But even with the striking examples of Miss Currer and Mrs. Rylands
before us, the conclusion still forces itself upon one that the _femme
bibliophile_ is an all but unknown quantity. The New Woman may develop
into a genuine book-lover; it is certain that the old one will not. The
Chinese article of belief that women have no souls has, after all,
something in its favour.

Bookstall-keepers have a deep contempt for women who patronize them by
t