Evening journal., 1897-09-18
ENEMIES OF BOOKS.
They Cannot Pick Up N Volume With
out InjurinR IL.

AnCy OAnMOh l-Ath@ ~ a. hOAuAAAN " aAh-
out Injuring IL.
Acquaintance with the contents of
books is no doubt the most important
thing in education, but the degree of
culture TO which a person can pretend
is demonstrated quite as often by his
treatment Of books in their material |
aspect. There are fairly well-informed |
persons whom none of these barbara
ties practiced by publishers can dis
tress. Muddy type and poor paper, |
scanty margins, edges cut sur lie vif, |
hideous bindings-these things are to
them mere unessential details. Nor, |
if they own volumes of an outward |
merit, worthy of the inward, do they
treat them with the courtesy which is
their due. They cannot even take up
a book casually without injuring it in
some way. Any bookseller can tell
woeful tales of some of his customers
in this respect. They are, despite all
the learning they may have, the enc
niles of books. He who lends to them
unwittingly regrets the rash impulse
Of generosity. And the worst of it.
is, that they are beyond salvation. For
unless one is instructed early in life
in the care of books he remains hope
less Philistine 10 the end of his days.
The old savage instinct is sure to break
out. In moments of primeval impulse
he may break a binding or dog-ear a
leaf.
A manual which has recently been
published on the care of the private
library contains so much useful in
formation that it is distressing to think
of it as thrown away. The real book
lover, the man who has reached a point
of culture which distinguishes between
taste and vulgarity in the manufacture
of books, will not need to be told that
leaves must be cut with a proper knife,
preferably of ivory, and cut through
to the corners; that not the title-page,
but the blank hy-leaf, is the place tor
the owners name; that books must
not be left lying open face downwards;
that they are not card-racks, crumb-
baskets or receptacles for flowers and
dead leaves; that they should not be
busted by slapping them together; that
they should be kept on shelves, not left
lying about on tables. But one who
does not know all this by instinct is
well-nigh impossible convert. Per-
haps q lifetime of labor with such
one may result in better minds and
true repentance In his children. Grow
ing up in bookish atmosphere is al
most essential TO a right appreciation
of books. Who ever saw library fur
nished wholesale with new editions in
new buildings that had the distinctive
charm such library ought to have?
A collection so made carries an air of
ill-breeding on its face. 1t is difficult
to feel the respect due to books in its
presence.
"If you are in the habit of lending
books" says the author Of this PAM
phlet, "do not mark them. These two
habits together constitute an act OF
discretion" Here the true book-loveT
is in hard position. He likes to lend
books; the more he thinks of the book
the better he likes to lend it; for he
is unselfsh and he wishes others tC
share his Joy in it. At the same time
he cannot contemplate its passag'
through strange hands without shud
der He has friends, he knows, will
whom his treasure will be safe. Blu
! what of those whose carelessness h'
cannot foresee? We have not patience
with those who say that a book Should
not be lent. If such a rule were fol
lowed out, half the pleasure of pos
session would vanish. At the sam'
time it is a pleasure that is mixed witt
many perilous chances. Yet the lcas
obliging owners of books are Otter
5 those who have no real love for then
the kind of people who write on mar
gins and disfigure title-pages with
! rubber stamp. 1t is Of little conse
quence, really, whether such person
, own any books at all. - Providene
/ Journal.