New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-11
ROBUSTNESS.
lmusing Pages By a NeditatiCe
Reader.

THE. DIVERSIONS OF a BooKLoyTER. By
Bros.
A good deal can be forgiven the garrulous
boollover who at least contrives to be readable
Mr.. Joline. for example. needs a. indulgent
critic. His humor is sometimes more than mild
Speaking OF the outward Bound" edition OF
Kiplng. he says: why it is called Outward
Bound cannot tell: supposed that all books
were bound that way" Some Of his quotations.
too. seem a trihe threadbare. The lines about
Jowett page 142 have become familiar
that they are wearisome But Mr.. Joline is
readable just the same. delightfully."- readable
and repeats in this volume the success OF The
Me6lta;ions Of an Autograph Collector" which
he published a so ago. We like his
bookishness- IL is not too boolish. one OF his
chapters. entitled Concerning some Books OF
Small Importance" opens with the remark that
the reader may treat il as suppressed. like the
Tweed Ring chapter in The American Common
wealth" and presently forget the siih airs
Of the library. and are listening TO echoes OF
ole unhappy far of things and battles long ago
Referring 20 the chapter aforesaid in Mr-
Bryces book Mr.. Joline recalls that among
other things II made serious accusation against
an honored relative OF mine, the late John
Thomson Hoffman. by accusing him OF being
Blinded by ambition TO the acts Of his political
Friends. and dissuaded from opposing the ring
nv the promise OF election Governor OF the
state although IL was con, eded that he was
personally honest" Mr.. Joline notes that Nj.
Coodnow. who made the accusation. meant TO
tell the exact truth but re adds: I happen TO
know a good deal about the facts and do II
derive my knowledge from that most untrust-
worthy source. the popular impressions Of the
time: wherefore. I am able 70 say that the in
situations against Governor Hoffman were With
out foundation. and those who knew the man
win testify that while he may have beer de-
ceived by his political friends. no one could have
TEMPTED him successfully to condone dishonest
act" Turning from politics TO books, we are
moved 10 sympathy for Mr.. Joline by his con-
fession that some of his treasures are necessarily
placed upon the shelves in double rows. But
why does he continue to call those unhappy OBJ
jects in the back row books? They cease to be
books when they thus buried, like the vol
unes Of minor poetry which Andrew Lang long
ago taught booklovers to use at the end of their
shelves. to protect better volumes. A book is
obviously worthless when it is inaccessible.
When YOU are driven by the swelling Of your
library 10 stow books in out-of-the-way places
about the house, to put them on lofty shelves
or in dark closets, il is time to sift with a
ruthless hand. Give, then, or drop part Of your
store to the bottom OF well. 1t viii do you
quite as much good there as it will in any Of
those preposterous receptacles for books which
are forced upon US, often enough, by the crowded
conditions Of our modern life
Mr.. Joline delights in Andrew Lang, but is
nevertheless unduly hard upon HIN for his de-
nunciation OF those collectors who buy the books
Of a living author. send them TO him and ask
= verse or sentiment from his hand for these
intrusive messengers. This costs them moth
ing and. 10 their feeble minds" says Mr. Lang.
appears to add pecuniary value to their volume.
These caitiffs are usually bred on the other side
OF the Atlantic They ought to be sternly sup
pressed. No notice should be taken Of their
communications" Mr.. Joline thinks this decla-
ration 'needlessly ferocious." 1t is not half
ferocious enough. Mr.. Joline is needlessly
srniable He does not, Of course, commit the
crime himself and he is willing to believe that
those who DO commit it mean no evil For our
own part we believe that many of these imper-
tinent requests made Of authors bv utter stran-
gers have at the bottom OF them, commercial
intention. Some Of the people who make them
well know that an autograph often adds pecu-
mary value TO a book, and they mean TO profit
by it. But even when they are innocent Of
wicked intent. they ought to realize that an
author has something 10 do beside writing auto
graphs for numberless individuals he has never
seen. There are scores OF other points in Mr..
Joline's volume on which we would like TO lin
ger. sometimes in dissent and -metimes in the
most cordial agreement But we must content
ourselves with the citation Of some words which
ne tells us Tom" Nolan. the noted counsellor,
once offered TO a Jury Of his countrymen. "Ay.
gentlemen Of the jury" said the lawyer, and
thereby hangs a tale. Every hair upon that tail
bristles with significance"