Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-05-03
LITERARY GHOULS.
CREATURES WHO CAUSE YOU NO
, END OF ANNOYANcES.
Most Audacfous Fellows, Who Defaces
Your Treasures and Perhaps Steal Your
Books = What a Difference When the
Owner Marks q Book.


Owner Marks q Book.
From time to time plaintive letter adj
dressed to the papers, or an advertisement
peremptorily assertive, reminds us of the
existence Of the literary thief, the wolf in
Sleeps clothing, who borrows books from
his friends and hastens not to return them.
The fact OF his being friend makes it the
more annoying. If he We're an acquaint-
ance merely, q letter beginning sir or
madam, indeed a printed form, demand
ing the return of specified volumes, might
be forwarded to him when a decent time
after the loan had been made had elapsed.
But seeing that he is something more he
must be treated as such. Even hint may
be taken with resentment The narrow
line separating excellent good camaraderie
from outraged feelings is so easily bridged
that bold indeed is he who endeavors to re-
cover his severed property by such hum
BILE sentence as eff you have quite finished
with it Tor them), I should like to have
that book Cor those books of mine back,
please"
Chesterfield, Bayard, Gandison, a
Crichton, could scarcely risk tho saying of
such sentnece with impunity. That
which is our own, when lent, is less ours
than tho persons to whom we intrusted
it. So rather than keep in book a list of
the volumes with which we have parted,
with the dates of lending and the names
of those to whom lent let us refuse abso-
lutely to ono and all a plea for borrowing
This selfish plan is the only one that can
save us completely from the loss of books
1t may also save us from other annoyances
Among the minor irritations of book
lending the usage they receive at the hands
OF borrowers may surely count. Some peo-
pie swathe all their volumes in brown pa
per or linen, rendering their shelves I'M
slightly in order to preserve the backs of
their volumes. Others like and encourage
the signs of age and usage that oft read
and handled books gain, just as the toll
worn hands of faithful servants or the
gray hairs of devoted parents touch and
pleasure them. But in the same way that
they would hate upon either signs of i'll
treatment, the bleary eyed and bloated
countenance, so upon their books do they
resent tributes of unfair usage at the hands
Of their friends.
An owner Of books can do with them
what he will. 1t is perhaps the sign Of
reverential possessor, rather than that of n
literary lover, should books be met in
shelves with the outer covering paper upon
them, and for this reason one would prefer
to see them thus clad than smeared with
ugly marks other than those bestowed by
respectable and clearly middle or old age.
But for borrowers so to sully the backs is
objectionable One sympathizes with the
rule made by some people, indulgent
enough to lend indeed, but not of faith
sufficient to lend unguardedly, who, with
the volume, Issue the proviso, 'Please Gov
er while you read it.
There is n book ghoul of the exterior, and
there is q book ghoul of the interior. Some
times indeed he is in combination, and
then, alas and alack, the day for the I'M
fortunate owner! For, in addition to the
horrible treatment just mentioned, he
makes the further outrage of dog ears and
penciled passages-nay, even of common
taries, and, more horrible still, of thumb
marks scrawlcd upon the margins. Au-
dacity puro and simple is it fora man or a
woman to write upon the book that is
lent, unless--and the exception must be
most narrowly taken-the friendship that
exists between owner and borrower is of
the closest and longest character. For, be
it recollected, that apart from the insight
illness of marginal marks, there is an am
biguity about them that is excessively irri-
tating to the next reader of the book and
those who follow Why should this passage
Or that word be scored? Can any one, save
the near friend, even guess the reason? It
is unfair to the author and unfair to the
peruser, as well as unfair to the possessor
of the book, to mark it. The result is the
taking off of the next readers thoughts
from tho subject matter of the volume, tho
undue excitement and bewilderment of his
mind and the DETACHMENT of the pages
three unpleasant and undesirable happen
ings.
Marked by its owner, q book is not de-
faced. His marginal notes, his scored pas
saCes, are but the testimonies of his regard
or interest iop that which he has read. lie
sets down reminders upon the pages of
happy stu0ious hours, and should his
friend who loves him be privileged to sec
the copy end his marks the deep interest
he feels in him will receive spur, light
will be thrown upon his character and a
metaphorical hand clasp will result. For
to know tsloGc VIC love is surely highest
bliss. and perhaps this suitable way of
making his acquaintance beyond the husk
of his outer personality, besides being a
most enchanting method, is also sure
one. Herein is set forth the great differ
cnce between an owner and a borrower.
The conduct Of both must be different en-
tirely. Alas! this undoubted truth is only
too often forgotten.
Why. after all, should books be borrow
ed? Why should they not? may very we'll
be asked Of course ones humanitarian
principles would teach us that they should,
but when privilege is so grossly mishan.
died as it is the first question forces itself
upon one. Pictures are not borrowed;
neither are carpets nor chairs nor clothes
What impertinence most of us would think
it were we suddenly asked to lend our
treasured Millnis, our Chelsea figure or
our piece of Chippendale! Yet our Milton
goes-and perhaps never returns-and no
more is left TO us than to sigh and perhaps
10 advertise. or, if to receive again, in all
likelihood in other guise than when it left
ms. and with friendship severed. 1t Is
hard, very, very hard, that the book Is SO
portable for to its portability may be
traced it's troubles. 1t may have cost us a
few pence. or it may have cost us pounds
but it is not really ours, that tome that