Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1893-02-02
RESPECT FOR BOOKS.
The Way One Handles a Volume n True
idea to His Character.

The Way One Handles volume Trus
Idea to His Character.
81 distrust the intelligence of any
person whom see handling n boob
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 / see a thoughtless girl put
her hand toward fine volume OF
Shakespeare, and begin to futter 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 nrc 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 lunch-baslet
to read in the cars
81 never do say it; but am far from
certain if it would not be justifiAble
impolitcness if did"
Indeed it is quite true that the
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 ii
the reclllessness of ignorance. The
reader of trash, in the presence of
soldity and long paragraphs, betrays
himself often by dismayed puclier
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 to the beginning, dips into
the middle and fits skippingly hither
and thithcr, nuttering the leaves like a
puff of wind.
The boolx-lover, the reader who reads
wisely and Understandings, 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 bool, Intentional
ly; one who is both well-bred and we'll
read can not fail to treat good book
WE'LL 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
ner, even when in better company, Sc
the foolish girl or boy whose mind is
STEPPED in trashy reading soon bctrays
it in many ways, and one of them is his
feeling toward real, genuine and elevat'
| ing books.
Handling book with apparent re-
spect or dsrespect is of course too fan.
tastic standard to be accepted liter
ally, since physical awlSwardness OF
nervousness may be responsible foi
harm rather than lack of menta'
grace. But it is none the less true thai
the close companion or friend of the
great authors acquires often what
might almost be called a special court
esy towards books. He learns to fee
toward them as did the first great En-
| glish poet, Godfrey Chaucer, who wrote
Eve centuries ago:
In boxes for TO rede I me delyte,
Aud in myne harte have them in reverence
Youths Companion.