The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-13
RESPECT FOR BOOKS.
The Way One Handles . Volume 3 Tru
Idea to His Character.

The Way One Handles Volume True
Idea to His Character.
81 distrust the intelligence of any
person whom 1 see handling book
disrespectfully," a lady declared the
other day. "a good book is one of the
best of friends, and deserves good treat
ment-not merely that one should
not strain its back or crease its pages,
but to be treated with delicacy, con-
sideration and respect.
when I see thoughtless girl put
her hand toward a fine volume Of
Shakespeare, and begin to flutter the
leaves as she talks, or nervously clap
the upper cover by way Of emphasis to
her remarks, feel like saying to her:
my dear, you forget yourself! Re-
member Rosalind; consider Viola; do
not be rude to Portia: they are friends
of mine if not of yours, and are ladies
of distinction. not to be treated like the
sentimental heroines of such trashy
novels as you roll up and stuff in your
pocket, or cram into your lunchbasket
to read in the cars
81 never do say it; but I am far from
certain if it would not be justifa BILE
impoliteness if did"
Indeed. it is quite true that the
mere way in which one lays his hand
upon a book is often strong indication
of character. The person who reads
little is apt to handle a book either
with clumsy and excessive care, or wi h
the recklessness of ignorance The
reader of trash, in the presence OF
solidity and long paragraphs, betrays
himself often by dismayed quicker
between the brows, or by lifting the
volume near his face as If suddenly be-
come near-sighted
The ill-advised person who has the
Swimming habit looks at the end first.
turns back 20 the beginning, dips into
the middle, and fits slzippingly hither
and thither, futtering the leaves like
puff of wind.
The book-lover, the reader who reads
wisely and understandingly, does not
do these things. 1t is commonly the
reader of trash who ill-treats and fails
to respect the most patient. unresentful
and helpless of our friends. No we'll
bred person abuses book Intentional
Iy; one who is both well-bred and we'll
read can not fail to treat a good book
well, and bad books, silly books and
false books he will leave on their
shelves
Light literature holds its proper and
honorable place in the world of letters
but trash is not literature and has no
place there. As one who has fallen
INTO associating with frivolous and
foolish people soon shows it in his man
DER, even when in better company, so
the foolish girl or boy whose mind is
stepped in trashy reading soon betrays
4 in many ways, and one of them is his
feeling toward real, genuine and elevat-
ing books.
Handling a book with apparent re-
spect or disrespect is of course too fan
tastic standard to be accepted liter
ally, since physical awkwardness or
nervousness may be responsible for
harm rather than lack of mental
grace But it is none the less true that
the close companion or friend of the
great authors acquires often what
might almost be called a SPECIAL court
esq towards books. he learns TO feel
toward them as did the first great En-
glish poet, Godfrey Chaucer, who wrote
Eve centuries ago:
In boxes for TO rede me delyts,
And in mype harts have them IN reverence
-Youth's Companion.