The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-24
BORROWERS OF BOOKS.
There Are Borrowers and borrowers,
and Some Should BE suppressed.

%. s. Martin, in HarperS Weekly.
A close observer of ordinary phenomena
occurring around hin has discovered and
reports that there are people who evlnce
a curious and deplorable tendency to bor-
row books. There are some people VINO
have to borrow books, since 1t Is necessary
for them to read, and they have not, and
cannot afford to buy. Honor to such per-
to borrow. 1t is inconvenient, but not so
inconventent as to go without, and honester
than to steal. 1t is as much. a privilege and
a duty to lend books to such persons as to
give water to the really thirsty. Book bor-
rowing is deplorable, not in the book-hun-
CRY poor, but in people who can perfectly
well afford to buy any ordinary book of the
existence of which they learn. and who bor-
row merely because they have formed the
habit, or, more correctly, for lack OF the
habit of buying books. Now there are
things that are advantageously obtained by
borrowing-as cider-mills, horse-cippers, or
fresh eggs-things that one only needs once
a year or so, or which are troublesome to
obtain. Not so with books. One needs them
has read; and of all ways of getting them
borrowing is about the most troublesome.
If the intention is that the borrowed book
shall be returned, there is that prospective
obligation hanging over one as long as the
book is kept. If the book gets damaged,
the reader is ashamed. He cannot mark in
it; he cannot give it away; he cannot con-
scientiously take his time about 1t and let
1t lie around until he gets good and ready
to read it. He must read it rompt and
send it back. If he makes up his mind in
the first place not to send it back, he must
endure the shame of intended larceny ali
the time he is reading the book, and the IN
convenience of repentance afterwards.
1t is not that borrowing BOOKS Is neces-
sarily an evidence of parsimony- 1t some
times happens that people Will spend money
freely for the most frivolous Delights, as
champagne at s. a bottle, and theater tick,
cts at whatever they Happen to cost, ana
vet feel that to squander a whole dollar on
a cloth-bound novel is somehow an eX-
travagance, and that borrowing IS more
seemly. There is this to be said, that you
can borrow a novel and use 1t and return
il. which cannot be done either with q the
alter ticket or with a bottle or champagne
But, on the other hand, what an extremely
cheap pleasuse a really good novel Is, con-
sidering the quantity OF entertainment IL
gives and 1.-THE number OF readers IL can
minister to, and to well-to-do people how
disproportionate the cost of buying is to the
trouble of borrowing!
For YOU who by the blessing of heaven
enjoy easy circumstances, and spend money
freely on good clothes and good food, and
placed self-denial in these days OF cheap
literature not to treat yourself promptly
TO every desirable new book that it enters
your mind to covet. Any ordinary BOOK
that you can afford to read you can aHoro
to buy.
When YOU have read it, IL it is worth
storage. put it on your library shelf. If 1t
is not worth storing, but Is still gooo TRASH,
give if to the departing guest; give 1t 10
your neighbour; Send it to a hospital. Dont
YOU can afford it, buy books to taste ana
70 look at as well as to read; but don't
go without the reading you really, want
because you can get along without DOCKS.
To go without buying books may pc neronc
self-denial if il is really necessary out I'M
less there is real need OF 1t, II Is an eX-
travagant form of economy OF winch the
economist ought to be ashamed.