Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-12
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

enjoy many hours Of reading at the
| South polar regions.
Roaming away from the beach, the
booklover strolled along the back streets,
in search of that local color which is
always of supreme interest to those
who love life.
shop, with its tiny window, and he saw
the single row of books on display there.
There was no attempt in that window
to feature" some one late "best
seller" Books were books, with this
owner: he put them on display, and
left the rest with God.
r X X u
The single row of books IN the win
dow were part of an excellent Series OF
cheap books put out by publisher
some years ago. They antedated the
present vogue for moderate priced
books. They were, II we recall rightly,
among the first books to be bound in
a kind of artificial leather. The one
drawback to this type of binding was
its adhesive qualities. II placed In a
bookcase the covers were inclined to
stick to the books on either side.
Aside from this slight physical blem-
ish, the books were nicely put up, with
good paper, type and spacing. The
titles of the authors represented many
of the best classics, as they are usually
and rightly called. Darwin, Spencer,
Dickens. Thackeray were a few Of the
authors.
The English philosophers work on
Education" was the book chosen. 1t
gave a definite sense of being true to
ones Self-that Is, bookloVer must
have a book, even at the seashore.
The sea was greener, the sky bluer,
the sun brighter, all because Of that
little book in hand. What II advancing
pedagogy had made much of Spencer's
book trite? The truiSms enunciated
there are eternal. Every one interested
in education has to start somewhere,
and he cannot do 1t with Dewey.
Spencer'S Education" L much better,
for it furnishes a firm basis for further
research. Its primary emphasis on
physical education Is seconded In every
home in the United States where there
are children. It must be remembered
that in the authors generation he
struck new note.
Every reader will get a saner view of
life through the reading or rereading
of this small work, easily read because
it is not too weighty. Its reading in a
few days of one Summer at the sea-
shore proved one Of the most enjoyable
features of one vacation.
What was true of that book at that
time might prove true Of any book at
any time. This is one Of the great
points of books, that they wait patient
" for their readers. They wait in vast
libraries, in little seaside bookstores, In
rows in general stores in country towns,
in swell" shops Of sophisticated cities.
On their shelves they wait until the
reader for them comes along. And then
it makes no difference in the world that
the latest "best seller" clamors for his
attention. He passes 1t by blandly, and
puts down his money for the old neg
lected work.
He takes 1t away with him, to read
while sitting on the end of great pier.
If he is so fortunate as to be at the
seashore at the time. Women hurry by
him with boxes Of saltwater tally, but
he would not trade with them.
He has something better than quick
ly vanishing taffy, something more
lasting than the huge gayly striped
rubber balls which the children toss on
the beach. He has fresh specimen OF
the human mind and heart, neatly
gathered in covers for his inspection at
leisure. He got it from small book
shop hidden away down side street in
seaside town.