Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-09
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES e. TNACEWELL.

One cannot say that he will be able
to use them afterward in any way,
shape or form. Yonder story Of imagi-
nation, colored with felicities Of an au-
thor's style, gave up its magic at It's
first reading. The story was the thing
The reader does not anticipate reading
1t again, at least not for many, many
years. Perhaps, II time Is gracious, life
may bring one around to the reread-
ing.
It makes no difference. The book
stays at home, not because Of what 1t
may be. but because Of what it has
been. Its past is really its present. I'm
like q human being who constantly. is
getting older. and SO worse, or better, as
the case may be (there Is never any
telling), a book holds all of itself in
tact against the ravages Of time. II 1t
stirred a human mind once, there Is
every chance that it may do it again.
This slight utility of the future de-
serves mention only as accenting the
tremendous Importance Of the books
present. Its present is always pres
ent-that is, 1t was here yesterday, it Is
here today, 1t will be here tomorrow
containing exactly the same worth ali
the time without diminution.
Even this quality, however, is Sec
ondary to the flavor of great things
which it has left in the readers mind
And so we arrive at the real basis for
the selection Of the home library. A
book must be good book before it de-
serves admission. If it is what we call
a good book, 1t must be treasured for
what it is, Just as q faithful horse or
dog is kept until the last breath.
One no more discards a good book
because 1t Is useless, in the ordinary
worldly sense Of the word, than he does
a good and faithful dog that no longer
can run to hounds. The book and the
dog deserve comfortable quarters, kind
ly care, nourishing food.
The food of good book, We must
believe, Is the loving glance of the
eyes which the booklover casts upon
1t every now and then as it sits snugly
in its honored position in the cases.
1t may be a large book or small
book, a leather-covered one or a paper
back-these are small considerations, as
is the price-or the possibility of flu
ture use. The needful thing to keep
in miNd Is that it interested one once
upon a time. That is its accolade.
The sign Of our bestowal Of knight
hood has been placed upon 1t, hence
forth forever we cherish 1t, In the
divine selfishness which makes every
thing we own precious.
Yonder Is the little pamphlet which
we picked up for 10 cents on an old
bookstall. There Is just q single
sentence in it which flashed fire, just
a line which should have been printed
In letters of gold. If you, dear reader,
were to read it, you might not think
much Of it, but at the time we read
it somehow it fitted into our souls
need. So We keep it there as q re-
minder Of past days. 1t belongs in the
list Of books we want to keep.
There stands a whole row, souvenirs
of lost enthusiasm. Time passes, and
with 1t various enthuSiasms, but the
books which it called forth stand sure
as sure as anything, that is. Nothing
Is really sure, as Swinburne mournfully
reminded us.
An observing visitor, going over
those shelves, could see in 1t the
progress of life. He would see there
good books well kept, as they deserve
to be-bookS which have been retained
because they interested, because they
stirred discussion. whether agreed with
or not. They are not just books, but
thingS-in themselves. Surely those
philosophers who have so long told
mankind not to lay up treasures on
this earth might well make an excep-
ton of good books. And in their COL
lection let the criterion be love, not
usage.