The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-15

From the Portland Transcript.
TN the matter of collecting a library
the average man is a pathetically
helpless creature. Unless he is
book sharp he is likely. some day when
he is 40 or so years old, to gaze upon
his shelves and wonder what on earth
brought together this curious conglom-
Grafton. Here are some subscription
volumes. Here are the complete sets Of
Cooper and Scott which he rushed off
to buy in an access of enthusiasm, un-
der the impression that it would be
good thing to have some of the stand
ard authors" in the house Here are
the stray novels, which he has pur-
chased from time to time. And hnaliy'
there are the books which kindly per-
sons have pressed upon him at Christ
mas or upon his birthday.
From this deplorable state Of analrs'
how shall we be delivered? 1t is con-
dition in which many of us find our
selves. Our libraries represent years of
drifting, rather than intention.
The current novels are not to be cast
out altogether. There are one or two
novels published every year which may
be added to the small library Perhaps
they will not be enduring monuments
of literature''-no one can tell. But
they are nearly sure to be readable and
interesting 20 or 80 years hence. A few
Of them may have taken on, in that
time, the dignity of classics
The subscription books are menace
to which we are less and less exposed.
In some communities people still go
about offering the life and addresses or
Doctor Dreary for 81 volume. But the
custom is happily vanishing.
To one peril we are still open. This is
the widespread habit of buying com
plete works." full sets of this or that
author, or collections in 10, 20 or 90
volumes of the Greatest Classics of
the Universe, Most Magnificent
Speeches of All Ages" "sublimest
Dramas of the Centuries" and SO on.
About the latter there is just one thing
to say: Don't.
AS for the complete works of various
authors, there are cases when such
purchase is wise. If man is SO devoted
to. say, Charles Lever, or to Trollope,
that he really desires to read all his
books, then it is, of course, foolish not
to take advantage of the rates at which
he may obtain the whole set.
The usual set Of complete works. of
an author is one of the greatest dis
couragers of reading that was ever in
vented. More promising booklovers
have been blighted by means of com
plete works" than in any other way.
There they stand, making fine show,
as regular and as alike as Prussian
grenadiers. There is no point of attack,
and so they stand to gather dust un-
read.
The library of the booklover Is irregu-l
lar; 1t is made up of odd volumes of
different dates, different sizes, and diff
ferent styles and colors of binding. 1t is
homely. familiar, comfortable. The
library of the parvenu is on endless
dress parade; it is uniform, trim. neat
and precise. He has bought $4,000 worth
of culture at so much a foot, and
he might as we'll have had scene
painter come in and paint the volumes
and titles on blank wall
These are the things to avoid. the
prohibitions of book buying. Is there
any useful advice, not of a negative
sort? Yes, there is some.
The first is when to begin to collect
books, The answer may be found in
the cant phrase:i do it now" Be vir-
tuous and Poor Richardian; resolve to
buy book week or book month";,
according to your purse. Do not worry
about fine editions. Demand clear print,
good paper and serviceable bindings.
These may be found in cheap aditions.
Buy cheap editions, IL you have to do
SO. and take no shame of it.
what books are you to buy? Be hon
est: better fill your bookcase with Marie
|Corelli, If she has a message" for you,
than adorn 1t with Bergson and Eucken
for the sake of pose. Listen to the wise
men-Frederic Harrison, President Eliot
and the rest, who have made up lists of
The best boolT'-listen to them Ee-