had to assume the pleasant duty of satisfying that desire.  Such a desire did not exist.  Many of the people not only never had read any books but they flatly declined to begin.  Mr. Guille felt that this deplorable attitude ought to be combatted, and he therefore persevered in the thankless and difficult task of trying in the first place to create the want, and in the second place to satisfy it.  A quarter-of-a-century’s earnest effort in a good cause, however, cannot fail to produce some fruit, and within the last three or four years much brighter days have dawned.  Mr. Guille’s lifelong friend and former business partner, Mr. F.M.  Alles,—­who had often previously substantially assisted him,—­has latterly thoroughly associated himself with the work, and the result is that the rudimentary scheme of 1856 has at length culminated in the splendid

GUILLE-ALLES LIBRARY,

which was thrown open to the public in the old Assembly Rooms, on the 2nd of January, 1882, and bears on its portal the appropriate motto:  Ingredere ut proficias—­“Enter that thou mayst profit.”  How admirably this fine Institution is fulfilling its mission is well-known to all who frequent it.  It already contains a collection of over 35,000 volumes—­to which constant additions are being made—­of valuable and standard works in all branches of science, literature and art, both in the French and English languages, besides numerous works in German, Italian, Greek, Latin, &c.  It has a commodious Reading-room, well supplied with journals and periodical publications; while a Society of Natural Science has also been inaugurated and meets in connection with it.  The Guernsey Mechanics’ Institution—­after an existence of just half-a-century—­was absorbed into it at the close of 1881; and the Library of the Societe Guernesiaise—­founded in 1867—­now finds a home on its shelves.  The subscription for membership is merely nominal, and Messrs. Guille and Alles have made arrangements to endow the Institution with such ample funds as shall secure in perpetuity the many benefits which it is conferring upon the island.

THE FUTURE OF THE INSTITUTION

is therefore fully assured and its wants provided for.  The spacious new buildings which have been for many months in process of erection are now (December, 1885) rapidly approaching completion.  They comprise a spacious and handsome Lecture Hall, capable of seating from 250 to 300 persons; a Book-room 63-ft. by 25-ft., exclusively for the lending department, and which will accommodate on its shelves from 45,000 to 50,000 additional volumes—­with a large anteroom for the convenience of the subscribers.  The present Reading-room will then be used for a Reference Library and Students’ Consulting and Reading-room.  There are also a General Reading-room, a Working Men’s Reading-room, and numerous apartments suitable for Class-rooms and Committee-rooms.  The roof of