Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-07
THE AMENITIES OF
BOOK COLLECTING
Fascinating Book of Literary
Essays by a Philadelphia
Business Man

"J" oy u Httuuetpfttu
Business Man
| Man Is at his best in tho conduct o.
: a hobby. II makes little difference wha
the object of his zeal may be: butterflies
or engraving, or home rule for ireland
or tensile strengths of metals The i'm
portant thing is that II shall be n gen
erous affection Of the mind a recreativt
"hlm into which he pours the fulles
ana finest energies of his personality
various compulsions of circumstance,
and self-interest clamp themselves upor
MS atairs of every day But wher
Office or classroom or shop counter are
left behind, when his spirit turns fol
relief to some cherished and unremuner.
atiVe pursuit, then we find him at his
best and happiest.
IL ought to be n source Of pride and
pleasure to Philadelphians to know that
ono OF the most delightful weddings ot
Ink and paper ever contaminated had
Its courtship In this city and Is now
| emparKed upon n soaring and triumph.
ant honeymoon. One OF the most charm.
Ing volumes of literary gossip that ever
delighted booklovers comes from tho
| impassioned hand OF philadelphia
business man who gave his heart away
to books many years ago. and has lost
himself SO happily in the groves and
copses of literature that he will never
again emerge from the enchanted
forest.
A. Edward Newton, the president of
| the Cutter Electrical Company. has
done more than enrich his own life with
the Joy Of n hobby. Like all good
hobbyrders. he has hItched many and
many a wandering vehicle to his steed,
and goes careerIng away with the
caravan. Booklovcrs from many parts
of the world have visited his fascinating
treasury of ink at Daylesford, waere he
has lovingly laid away some Of the
volumes and manuscripts that are rich
est in literary association to lovers of
our tongue. Learned professors con-
gregate about this merchant who knows
more about eighteenth century letters
than many and many dlplonaed doc
tor. The most exclusively edited
periodical on our continent rubs its
hands with glee when Mr. Newton sends
II an an essay. The booksellers who
scour the earth for the rarties of print
and paper keep his name in their private
card indexes of heavenly caliphs Of ink
And In the meantime, the genial cause
OF all this hubbub travels in and out
Of Broad Street Station, quietly putting
a long cigar. with his nose adoringly
buried in Boswell's Johnson.
Perhaps a good review ought to men,
tion the title of the book under dis
cussion. "The Amenities Of Book Col
lecting" IS the volume of our delight.
1t Is book OF what its author calls
"biblo- bliss" It IS, first. confession
of Mr.. Newton's adventures and &C.
stasles among books, iand. second.
volume 50 packed with charm, good
Il ks1,1 %
enthusiasm that is an honor to human
nature. After all, one feels, It IS some-
thing Of an honor TO belong to the
mortal race that has conceived a pas
sion so keen, so disinterested, SO urbane,
as Mr.. Newton's love Of books. In de-
lighting himself he has unconsciously
enriched and bettered the world as
whole. If, as r. l.. S. said, happy man
Is a better thing 10 find than a five
pound note, finding Mr.. Newton's book
Is like stumbling on n gold mine.
1t would be absurd to attempt to
"review" Mr. Newtons book In the depth
OF a newspaper column. One might as
we'll attempt to review the history of
the eighteenth century, or the course
Of a love affair. In fact, Mr.. Newton's
book is a love affair; the most noble
of love affairs, the story Of his love for
TWO men. bOClOE JOIllSpll stlu NSiifhi ieo
Lamb. Upon these two figures his book
Is really based: most Of the other
heroes and heroines enter because they
are connected in one way or another
with these protagonists. Trollope and
Wilde are almost the only pictures In
Mr.. Newton's gallery who are not con-
nected by some nerve of affectionate
association with the photographer or
with Saint Charles"
Perhaps It Is pertinent to say. how
ever that Mr. Newton's book Is not
only n work Of love- but work Of art
Whether it is wholly conscious art. we
doubt. for Mr.. Newton's crisp, humorous
and sagacious style is the perfect re-
Election of his crisp, humorous and
sagacious personality. Cnquestionably
destiny created him for the express pur-
pose of writing this book: and happily
destiny also created many bookloVers
for the express purpose Of reading It,
Read Newton and die" may yet be-
come the password of a select suicide
club.
If YOU are boollover, you will make
a serious mistake in dying before read
ing this enchanting book. II you are
not a booklover life may still hold some
Joys for you. but never the full ripe
ness OF emotional and Intellectual thrill
that the Amenities" brings TO the
brotherhood Of zealots who grope round
secondhand bookshops and rally with
shouts of praise to the immortal memory
Of Doctor johnson.
This is a book so admirable that 1t Is
really hard to sec how we ever got
along without II. 1t Is like wireless
telegraphy or any other miracle; 1t fts
in so we'll with our scheme Of things
that we regard its blessings almost with
out wonder. It was intended and plan
ned bv beneficent fate. and that 1t
shouId have come to us from the hand
of a philadelphia business man is one OF
the joyous gestures Of the zodiac that
we have done nothing to deserve.
c. NJ.
THE AMENITIES OF ROOK COLLECTING.
AND KINDRED AFFECTIONS. BY a.
tSl,.,a "A Newton ROston: The Atlantic