River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-01-12
RESPECT FoR BOOKS.
The Way De Handles Volume n True
Idea to His Character.
81 distrust the intelligence of any

The Way De Handles Volume n True
Idea to His Character.
81 distrust the intelligence of any
eerson whom I see handling a book
lisrespec fully" a lady declared the
other day. "A good book is one of the
oest of friends. and deser YES good treat
nent-not merely that one should
lot strain its back or crease its pages,
out TO be treated with delicacy, con-
sideration and respect
when / see thoughtless girl put
Ter hand toward a fine volume of
Shakespeare. and begin TO fiutter the
caves as she talks. or nervously clap
he upper cover by way of emphasis 70
Ter remarks. l feel like saying to her:
MY dear, you forget Yourself Re-
member Rosalind; consider Viola; do
lot be rude to Portia; they are friends
Of mine if not of yours. and are ladies
IF distinction. not to be treated like the
sentimental heroines of such trashy
novels as you roll mp and stuff in your
pocket. or cram into your lunch-baslxet
20 read in the cars
81 never do say it; but ! am far from
certain If it would not be a justifl h'e
mpoliteness if did"
Indeed, it is quite true that
mere way in which one lays his hand
upon 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 a 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 mas the
Swimming habit looks at the end first,
turns back to the beginning, dips into
The middle. and fits skippingly hither
and thither. fiuttering the leaves like a
Duff of wind.
The bool1-lover, the reader who reads
wisely and understandingly, does not
10 these things II is commonly the
-eader of trash who ill-treats and fails
/ 20 respect the most patient, unresentful
and helpless of our friends. No we'll
bred person abuses a book Intentional
Y; one who is both well-bred and we'll
/ cad can not fail to treat a good book
we'll, and bad books. silly books and
,alse books he will leave on theil
shelves.
Light literature holds its proper and
honorable place in the world of letters
out trash is not literature and has No
place there. AS one who has fallen
nto associating with frivolous and
/ foolish people soon shows it in his man,
ler, even when in better company, 81
he foolish girl or boy whose mind Is
stepped in trashy reading soon betrays
in many ways, and one of them is hls
feeling toward real, genuine and elevat
ng books.
Handling a book with apparent re
spect or disrespect is of course too fan
,astic standard to be accepted liter
ally, since physical awkwardness OF
nervousness may be responsible foi
larm rather than lack of mental
grace But il is none the less true thai
he close companion or friend of the
great authors acquires often wha'
might almost be called a special court
esy towards books. lie learns to fee
coward them as did the first great En-
ylish poet. Godfrey Chaucer. who wrote
I i've centuries ago:
In boxes for to rrde I nue. delyte,
And in myne harte have them in reverence
Youths Companion.