New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-21

argue we'll OF a child who carefully conserves
| lite books, covers them, and ranges them on q
| little shelf in a little row. When encounter
| this particularly, see before me future col,
lectors and photographers In embryo. ana
what ] say to the children, l would say 10
adults. Ii is so hard to get books and so easy
! TO lend and to lose them. Nobody can pave u
library unless he takes good care OF what comes
| into it. All the great gatherings nave shan
| start. There is curious story OF the beginning
of Richard Heber's magnificent library, whlch
| is told in BurtOn's Book Hunter, ana Which
is worth repeating here, because Burt0ps BOOK
| Hunter" has become Sc scarce. Heoer acoi-
denay met with little volume eo Ca,eo NE
took it to Mr.. Bindley, the celebrated collector,
and asked him il IT was not curious book.
ayes" answered MIR. Bindley, mot very
but rather u curious book" What came OF
this those who know anything OF the enormous
IIeber collection will understand. From that
day forth Richard Heber was n bibliOmanIac.
He would travel hundreds of miles to buy
book which he did not possess. He fell into
the slough OF duplicates, lie had as Dibdin
puts it, ian ungovernable passion to possess
more copies OF book than there were even
parties to deed or stamens to plant" MIR:
Hunter quotes what Heber was in the habit OF
saying i'll defence OF his purchase of duplicates
or of duplicates, and it is worth quoting here
"Wby, you see, sir, no man can comfortably
do without three copies of book. One he
must have for show copy, and he will prob
ably keep it at his country house another he
will require tor his own use and reference;
and unless he is inclined to part with this,
which is very inconvenient, or risk the injury
of his best copy, he must need have third
at the service of his friends" Burton adds:
This last necessity is the keynote to Hebcrs
popularity" He was, it seems, willing to
lend In advising young people respecting the
formation Of a library, nay advice would be
not to lend but to keep. Nobody can have
decent collection unless he takes good care of
1t for it is easier to lose than to acquire l
know nothing like tho immortality which per-
vades the ranks Of borrowers. They forget to
bring back and sometimes, | felr, they do not
forget. | would not say word about 1t, tor
fear of hurting the feelings of somebody who
will find my book plate in some volume upon
his shelf it he will lock for it, unless. indeed
he has cradicated i'll would not. say, speak
q word of the matter If | were not writing for
children, and begging them to keep their
books together. 1t will he such promising
beginning. It will teach such habits OF care.
1t will give them so much pleasure hereafter TO
look at what so delighted them when the world
ws new and small things charming. One can
not expect these young people to be learned In
cumuae in value; but they may take my
word for it that what was worth reading, 1t
would be wise TO preserve.
"The New England Primer" was long before
my early time-that interesting compendium
"fOr the more easy attaining the reading OF
English, to which is added the Assembly OK
Dvines' and Mr.. CottOn's CatechismS." 1t has
become q favorte nugget of the gatherers OF
uncOnsdered trifles and the interest shown III
it proves how deep may be the passion for the
odd, the rare. the difficult OF attainment Most
of us have to be cOntenS with reprints which
are, after all, rather unsatisfactory La these
we may still read of "yOung plous Ruth"
young Samuel DEAR and OF how "young
Timothy learned sin to f1ee." Who would not
be touched by that short poem which tells us
that
Young Obadas,
DAVID, JOsias,
All were pious."
Here is indeed, an epic in three lines, with
three heroes which we can read with interest in
less than three seconds, and relish even in this
age, which does not usually relish epics. No
great story was ever told more briefly; and it is
only eQualed by the cOuplet which makes i'm
mortal the early piery OF Timothy. There was
a touch of Puritanism in it, and no doubt 1t is
small book to have such a broad theological
squint. | shall neither attack it nor defend il
all / have to say is that If the school children
had handled it somewhat more carefully, it
xpnul0 m have tapu co 1ltfipult IN hlV