COUNTRY LITERATURE. 237 



the title to the printer's address. The local papers aro 

 ploughed steadily through, just as the horses plough 

 the fields, and every furrow conscientiously followed 

 from end to end, advertisements and all. The brewer's, 

 the grocer's, the draper's, the ironmonger's advertise- 

 ments (market-town tradesmen), which have been there 

 month after month, are all read, and the slightest change 

 immediately noted. If there were any advertisement 

 of books suitable to their taste it would be read in 

 exactly the same manner. But in advertising for 

 country people one fact must be steadily borne in 

 mind that they are slow to act ; that is, the advertise- 

 ment must be permanent. A few insertions are for- 

 gotten before those who have seen them have made up 

 their minds to purchase. When an advertisement is 

 always there, by-and-by the thought suggested acts 

 on the will, and the stray coin is invested it may be 

 six months after the first inclination arose. The pro- 

 crastination of country people is inexplicable to hurry- 

 ing London men. But it is quite useless to advertise 

 unless it is taken into account. If permanent, an 

 advertisement in the local press will reach its mark. 

 It is this permanency which gives another value to 

 the circular and the poster; the circular is folded up 

 and preserved to be looked at again like a book of 

 reference ; the poster remains on the dry wall of the 

 barn, and the ink is legible months after it was 

 first put up. 



Having now informed the hamlets of the books 

 which are in existence, if complete success is desired, 

 the next step should be to put specimens of those 

 books before the eyes of the residents. To read of 



