THi: KETROSPECT OF TIIK YKAK. 105 



iit the Institute, has l)c'en (lisal)lo(l hy illiu'ss thi-(nighoiit 

 the year; Miss Arvodsoii, oin- experienced Assistant 

 Librarian, was obliged from ill health to resi<;n ; and the 

 al)le services ot" tiie Tr(!asurer were interrupted i)y severe 

 illness for several monlhs. I am <i:lad to be a])le to say 

 th.it, with the addition of one new assistant and the very 

 generous cooperation in office-woik of the Treasurer 

 since his recovery, and of Mr. Geoi-ge L. Peabody 

 throughout the winter, a partial return to the old-time 

 order of things has been reached ; but it is seen l)y every 

 active worker in the Society to be very far from what we 

 desire or what our contributors and the public have a 

 light to demand. Every day shows more plainly how far 

 the Institute has outgrown its early methods. 



The year has i)een fairly prolific of literary work. A 

 new and much improved edition of the little hand-book 

 to the first Meeting House was issued in the spring, and 

 this was followed by an edition, the sixth or seventh I 

 think, and the fortieth thousand, of the Visitor's Guide to 

 Salem. This work has profited by the assiduous labors 

 of at least ten devoted friends of the Institute, coimting 

 only writers and omitting artists, to several of whom 

 credit is due for the copious illustration of the book. 

 And while it has long compared well with the local guide- 

 books of this section, it may at last be claimed to be in 

 as good a condition as to accuracy and comprehensive- 

 ness and conciseness as we are likely at present to arrive 

 at. It has been printed on 215 thin, flexible pages which, 

 by adding four lines to each paire, are made to contain 

 some twenty-two pages more of matter than the preceding 

 edition of 1895, although that edition numbered more 

 pages, weighed more and was less flexible for pocket use. 

 A Sfood deal of new matter and several new illustrations 

 were added, some errors corrected, and there would seem 



