Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-07-13
COMMENTS FOUND IN LIBRARY
BOOKS.

Librarians jealousy guard III,
treasures intru9ted to their care. Tn,
preservation of their books is tn.
| motive Of their existence. and to ac.
complish that end they take pains I.
| notify the public that any mutilatior
"i volume lent, no matter how small
rs intrinsic worth. will be punished
VAIN lines terrible 20 think upon and
difficult To pay. "Mutilation" doubt
less IS meant To include scriDbling-
indeed, il is so defined in some no
tees.
NotWithsta ndinC the penalty threat
rned for the violation of library laws
many readers whose pro, Density 70,
manipulating the lead peno il has over
come their discretion. rccklessly hav.
Jotted down their opinions on the ideas
q! the author. and not infrcqucntly
these criticisms foini an interesting
addition To the original composition.
vi these comments a!e finely pen
cilcd and indicate that they have beer
invaluable as literary training. mas
much as their brcvity has constrained
the critic To cultivate the quality 81
irccisjon-a virtue that contrasts
faNorahly with the almeas voubility
ri tn" printed page.
Works of fiction. being most pop,i-
, lar with the average reader. have com.
! in for more than their share of mark
! ing. In this class Of literature the
book that has received the hard..s
Knockout blow is The Egotist." Som,
inpatient reader after toiling through
n few intricate paragraphs. has
written: II have tried six times IL
read this hook; but | can't. for the
life III me. get over Sir Wiloughby >
legs" Below this. in Il different hand
is pencled: Amen" Admirers 81
Mcrestith-if such there he--may con
Strue this latter comment any way
, they choose but the natural Inference
of the subsequent reader is that il. too
indicates inability on the part of some
suffering lover of straightforward
English to wade through or shy past
the complex description of that incom-
parable neither limb.
George More likewise comes in for
some hot shot in Evelyn Innea." Cor
4 plain spoken New Yorker. who evil
IDENTITY has read "Evelyn'' since the be
ginning Of the present opera season,
$50 Margaret Macintyrc is like that,
is she? IIumph." And again the
observer Of these notes may put his
own construction upon the remark IF
the amateur critic.
Dear to the hearts Of many novel
reader are the adventures Of Mrs.
Lccks ana Mrs. Alcsh.ne. hut that
even the doinGs Of these two estimable
ladies. as duly chronicled by Mr..
Stockton. are disaprroNcd by NJ least
one library habtue is evidenced by the
note scrubbed on the last page: This
il no good" In another of Mr. stock
tons books-a volume of short stories
the disappointed reader takes tn"
liberty of advising the author as to his
literary future: IF you can't do any
better than this" says the scathinS
critic. you'd better quit" Neither IS
Mr. Howells exempt fIom few hard
rans. Ragged Lady" is designated
BY one inappreciative reader TN"
worst book | ever read" but another
offers consolation in The Minister'S
charge" which is enthusiastically
pronounced to be SEINE punkins.
Eut of ali library books those most
profusrlv decorated with the trail or
the pencil are Victor Hugo'S. In these
books the reader has seldom voiced
his own thoughts. but has contenteu
himself with undermining the sentenr"
for which he gives the author credit.
expressing in better. clearer language
than he could find for himself. That's
SO you're right and How true.
are sometimes employed to express
commentator Of Il sentiment. nut as
n rule Hugo il allowed to have ms
own way.
If dog-ca,s and thumb-prints and
faryent Explanations are an index 10
real. heartfelt popularity, then Dck
ens Is still the most widely feau
author i'm our libraries today. not
! withsianding the annual cry that the
. ncd,stal on which he has been en-
tb,oned is crumolin" away. 1hc an
rotations are different in character
from those that abound III IN" ffcn''n
writer for whereas the latter 81" IN
.1;no,ivc of admira tion alone the mar
! eiual lines in Dickens denote atfFc-
,i,notc regard for the author. MISS
t hlrnt,'s Locks are also well worm
aud tho comments ave proof that she
too laws hold Of the heart. Geo' &c
riio,'s books frequently are under
lined bu, seldom commented on. An
ryccption tn this is found near th'
,,;5.j,c or the second volume of Mid
Jlcma,ch." where an emphatic reader
con, ise,y delivers IT." opinion tha'
..p.,,,bc, js q fooi.' 'Homola' else
calls forth protest from anothnl
weary ni,d.icr. Wy" nuts up tie wall
..c,, nv. hut this Is dry"
Dalzac has tie w:nd taken out ot ~.
ellis hv = s,rawl on the fly leaf :"
"co,s;r retty.' which reads in th''
fashion: II shall need to be fum'GatH'
af,cr this. ! shall need 10 stand out i"
doo,t for a week and let the fresh n
bow through me-
Newt 10 books of fiction cook booA'
40 .bosep MS the groundwork for th'
mos. vo,u,ninous commentaries. me
t. ono nook in particular whoEe re'h
ers smile when they come to cert'l'
rccipe. for on the margin is written