In the Athenmurn of last week appeared a letter calling
atten- tion to the very dishonest practices of many of the book- canvassers, who go about obtaining from old ladies or women- -servants signatures which they believe to be orders for one or two parts of some book appearing in parts, but which really are orders for the whole series. The practice is one which we know to be most prevalent. A servant in a family known to us was taken in only the other day precisely in the same way as the lady mentioned in the letter addressed to the Editor of the Athenteurn, and of course had no redress. No doubt the pub- lishers' agents are the authors of this sharp practice, and are
induced to press so hard on account of the very great commission they receive ; but then the publishers for whom the contract is obtained ought always to be ready to cancel the order on the clear evidence Of the person aggrieved that it was for a specimen part and not for the whole of the book, and should make their agents agree in all such cases to forfeit their commissions. In the meantime, if women would only be a little peremptory in refusing what they don't want,—and not think it rather impious than otherwise to say they don't want an illustrated Bible in parts,—these very sharp book-canvassers would not play so many successful tricks.
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