Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-11
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRAcEWELL.

Since there seem to be temptations
In everything, the reader may wonder
what is the one which lies In the path
vay of him who Yields knife on the
uncut pages of new books.
The great temptation OF those who
linger over the pages Is to read toe
much as they go along.
This is the one danger which Turks
in this otherwise peaceful pleasure OF
the genuine Booklover. If he can
resist this temptation, he will find his
prediction one OF genuine happiness
and some profit.
We would not say that he must not
read at all. That would be asking too
much. How is it possible as one goes
leisurely through the pages to resist
reading bit now and then?
Certain sentences seem to stand out.
Here is a description Of the heroine
comes across sounds of mighty DEEDS.
Lurid phrases float in the wind.
He would not be human If he did not
sample the delights which are in store
for him, but he must do 1t in the spirit
of the connoisseur, not OF the sneak
who takes an unfair advantage OF books.
Yes, one may take unfair advantages
of books. One of them Is proverbial.
and usually attributed to women. 1t Is
the habit of reading til last chapter or
page first.
Experience proves that quite as many
men thus sneak up on a plot as do
women, but the truth is that very few
readers indulge in this deception. What
holds them back is simply that they are
afraid they will not get their moneys
worth by such method.
And they are right. The one best
way in the world of killing ones pleas
ure In a book, especially a work OF nc
ton. is to read the last chapter flrst
There are some mental temperaments.
of course, which are able to forget what
they have read and take pleasure in Q
story of which they already know the
end, but the great bulk of readers want
to get some sort of surprise.
To read the last first is to practice q
sort of clairvoyance. Life-of which
most books are refections--does not
reveal events until they happen, or at
most only a few hints and clues. A
good book similarly progresses in or
derby fashion. 1t does not take time
by surprise or enable its readers, any
more than its characters, to know what
indirection which life uses.
There is q vast difference, therefore
1 DGCWeSn pIuuBu1E I1eduIOIlB nlJO Ile
words of q book as one Is cutting its
pages and leisurely reading q paragraph
on various pages as one cuts his way
through from FIRST to last page.
It might seem that all chances OF
misusing the pages before reading would
be averted If the cutter began It the
back and worked forward. We know
one man who cuts thus, but we believe
he is in error. We are not Cinnamon
The proper way to cut the pages Of q
book, as to read them, Is to begin at the
first page and end at the last.
Proper cutting demands that the work
be done slowly. Yesterday we discussed
the dangers of the too sharp or too dull
knife for this work. There is yet an
other danger-that Of too fast cutting
But we suppose that no one who Is i'm
patient will purchase book with uncut
edges.
He who has knife Of the proper sort
in his hand and good book with pages
uncut knows by the fact of these pos
sessions how to proceed In the main.
There may come time, however, when
he cuts in a hurry or Is so anxious 10