Evening star., 1925-09-30
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEYELL.

Here is letter from my file that
has been awaiting consideration al
length for some time. 1t requires nc
further explanation.
i wrete you 2 note of appreciation
for your articles in The Evening Star
some time ago. This letter is just
to let you know I am still a regular
reader and thiRk you get better all
the time. l am sorry that Marcus
Aurelius is finished.
II suppose you remember one OF
your articles last Winter about the
Gelden Book Magazine. I want to
thank you for that article also. though
/ am rather late doing it. II l had
net read that particular article 1t
might have been months and possibly
years before happened onto the
Golden Book.
"Some time when you can't think
Of anything to write about Il hardly
think YOU will ever be In that pre-
dieament), why don't you just give a
list Of books and authors that you
think people should read.
Il should certainly value your opin-
ion on such a matter. There is just
one disagreement between what you
have published and my tastes. II
my memory serves me rightly, you
are a great admirer Of Edgar Allan
Poe, and I don't like him at all. How.
ever, I believe in freedom Of intellect
so l don't want to start any argu
ment. In fact, I am perfectly willing
to admit that my taste Is at fault
You have the ma jority in your favor
II hope you won't be bored by this
rather lengthy letter. but I've read
SO many of your articles l feel almost
as though I know you"
In a p. 8. the correspondent states
Don't know which I like best, your
articles on human interest topics oi
your unusual book reviews.
Il X x*
The task of selecting q list OF books
for another to read has a certain fas
cination. 1t has been made many
times. Sir John Lubbock tried II
years ago, and q distinguished college
president came out with HhVefoo'
shelf"
Sir Johns list of books. is interest
ing, but contains many recondite Vol,
umes, about which there may Vel
be question. The famous "hVe-fool
SHELF was chosen with more regard
to the modern point OF view. but also
suffers from the fact that it, by rea
son OF It's very nature, imposes the
opinions of one man upon another
While we admit the opinion is a very
excellent one. we still claim the right
to nick and choose for ourselves.
Last Autumn, at the request OF q
Washingtonian who wanted to dc
seme reading along lines that would
Improve his mind without being toe
much like studying" hazarded a
lisr of ten great books. as follows:
/. the Bible; 2, Stsvenson's "Vir
ginibus Pusrssque'; 8, whitman
Leaves of Grass; 4, Spencer's "Edu
cation" 8. Dumas ..Three Muske
teers"; 6. Lewis "Ba bhitt': 7. Frank
Inns "Autobiegrap phy"; 8. Dickens a
Christmas Carol"; 8, Wells "A Short
History of the World" and 10, Cranes
The Janitor's Boy"
This rather varied list received a
favorable reception. and was used by
more than one person II had the
Measure Of finding ouD a ba sis for
Christmas selections.
In attempting to answer my new
correspondents letter. however.
found myself casting around for an
other method of selection. 1t seemed
to me that l found what I sought in
a small catalogue Of Everyman's Lib
rary. that popular compilation Of some
762 volumes issued by E. p. Dutton &
Co.
Some years ago these small, cloth.
bound books sold for 35 cents a copy
and mounting printing costs have
only now pushed them to 80 cents a
volume. Under the general editor