The sale of song-books in the streets, at and at each, is smaller than it was years ago. reason that I heard assigned was that the penny song-books—styled "The Universal Songbook," "The National," "The Bijou," &c.— were reputed to be so much alike (the same songs under a different title), that people who had bought book were averse to buy another. "There's the 'Ross' and the 'Sam Hall' songbook," said man, "the 'eighteenth series,' and I don't know what; but I don't like to venture on working them, though they're only a penny. There's lots to be seen in the shopwindows; but they might be stopped in the street, for they an't decent—'specially the flash ones."

of the books which a poor man had found the most saleable is entitled, "The Great Exhibition Song-book; a Collection of the Newest and Most Admired Songs. Embellished with upwards of Toasts and Sentiments." The toasts and sentiments are given in small type, as a sort of border to the pages of which the book consists. The toast on the title-page is as follows:

I'll toast England's daughters, let all fill their glasses,

Whose beauty and virtue the whole world surpasses.

To show the nature of the songs in street demand, I cite those in the book: "The Gathering of the Nations," "Bloom is on the Rye," "Wilt thou Meet me there, Love?" "Minna's Tomb," "I'll Love thee ever Dearly" (Arnold), "When Phœbus wakes the Rosy Hours," "Money is your Friend," "Julia and Caspar" (G. M. Lewis), "That pretty word, Yes" (E. Mackey), "Farewell, Forget me Not," "The Queen and the Navy" (music published by H. White, ), "I resign Thee every Token" (music published by Duff and Co.), "Sleep, gentle Lady;" a serenade (H. J. Payne), "The Warbling Waggoner," "The Keepsake," "A Sequel to the Cavalier," "There's room enough for All" (music at Mr. Davidson's), "Will you Come to the Dale?" "Larry O'Brian," "Woman's Love," "Afloat on the Ocean" (sung by Mr. Weiss, in the Opera of the "Heart of Mid Lothian," music published by Jefferys, ), "Together, Dearest, let us Fly" (sung by Mr. Braham, in the Opera of the "Heart of Mid Lothian," music published by Jefferys, ), "The Peremptory Lover" (Tune—"John Anderson, my Joe"). There are songs in addition to those whose titles I have quoted, but they are all of the same character.

The penny song-books (which are partly indecent), and entitled the "Sam Hall" and "Ross" Songsters, are seldom or never sold in the streets. Many of those vended in the shops outrage all decency. Some of these are styled the "Coal-Hole Companion," "Cider-Cellar Songs," "Captain Morris's Songs," &c. (the filthiest of all.) These are generally marked and sold at ; and have a coloured folded frontispiece. They are published chiefly by H. Smith, . The titles of some of the songs in these works are sufficient to indicate their character. "The Muff," "The Miss Thys," "George Robins's Auction," "The Woman that studied the Stars," "A Rummy Chaunt" (frequently with no other title), "The Amiable Family," "Joe Buggins' Wedding," "Stop the Cart," "The Mot that can feel for another," "The Irish Giant," "Taylor Tim," "The Squire and Patty."

Some titles are unprintable.

The children's books in best demand in the street-trade, are those which have long been popular: "Cinderella," "Jack the Giantkiller," "Baron Munchausen," "Puss and the -leagued Boots," "The Sleeping Beauty," "The Champions of Christendom," &c. &c. "There's plenty of 'Henry and Emmas,'" said a penny bookseller, "and 'A Present for Christmas,' and 'Pictorial Alphabets,' and 'Good Books for Good Boys and Girls;' but when people buys really for their children, they buys the old stories—at least they does of me. I've sold 'Penny Hymns' (hymn-books) sometimes; but when they're bought, or 'Good Books' is bought, it's from charity to a poor fellow like me, more than anything else."

The trade, both in songs and in children's books, is carried on in much the same way as I have described of the almanacks and memorandum-books, but occasionally the singers of ballads sell books. Sometimes poor men, old or infirm, offer them in a tone which seems a whine for charity rather than an offer for sale, "Buy a penny book of a poor old man— very hungry, very hungry." Children do the same, and all far more frequently in the suburbs than in the busy parts of the metropolis. Those who purchase really for the sake of the books, say, street-seller told me, "Give me something that'll interest a child, and set him a-thinking. They can't understand—poor little things!—your fine writing; do you understand that?" Another man had said, "Fairy tales! bring me nothing but fairies; they set children a-reading." The price asked is most frequently a penny, but some are offered at a halfpenny, which is often given (without a purchase) out of compassion, or to be rid of importunity. The profit is at least cent. per cent.