Evening star., 1929-12-13
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

when we asked him what was he, then
he declared, why, I am q member
of the firml"
One can never buy books by such
methods. This is where the idea OF
completeness comes in. The booklover
complete on any one subject alone. He
need not necessarily go in for histories
Of steam engines or sports. He may
get the same result by collecting au-
thors, periods or subjects.
Although the sale of sets" of authors
has fallen off considerably during the
past decade, it still offers the home
librarian one Of the most pleasant and
profitable ways of making a library
complete on something.
He must not make the mistake of
thinking that he must read every line
just because he has an author complete
in his shelves. There is great salts
faction in having all of him there. He
can never be sure when he will want
to read the very volume which he now
scorns.
Complete sets of those authors who
have stood the test of time may be
secured by picking up volume here,
another there, one in cloth, another
in leather. We know one Washing
tonian who has set Of o. Henry in
eight different bindings. In some re-
spects this makes more interesting
collection than if they were all in
leather.
Let a man 60 in for history, If he
wants to take up something interesting.
Here the completeness" of his collec-
ton will be problematical, but he at
least will have a goal.
If he further restricts it to some one
period, he will find increased pleasure.
The really great works on any one
period are few. A hankering for Rome
will lead man into devious paths.
From history he may branch into the
home life of the Romans, or their re-
ligion. These may lead on to the whole
subject of antiquarian discoveries, in
which such marvellous advances have
been made in the past half century.
If man is interested in dogs, he will
find that there are many "dog books"
on the market, some good, some poor.
If he fancies any particular game, or
sport, he will discover a large library
attending each. Any golf addict would
find a complete library of golf books a
source of pride and never-failing in
terest.
AS good a way as any of making a
library complete in something is to go
in for the works of writers of certain
race. An American is particularly for
tunate, it would seem, in that he has
such widespread tastes.
One reader will take fancy to Rus
sian stories, another to French novels,
and the happy thing is that so much
Of each language has been translated.
A reader may never achieve absolute
completeness, but who would want to?
The main thing is to possess the idea
of completeness. This is a matter in
which, as Stevenson said, 1t is better to
travel hopefully than to arrive. If a
reader is fond of the French writers, it
is better for him to have great books
in reserve than to be in the unhappy
position of having read them all.
We are to take DR.. Holmes advice,
therefore, with that reservation, and
having done so will find it good. The
idea is not so much completeness as
plan. Completeness is an ideal toward
which we look, but the looking is more
important than the completeness, be-
cause such looking demands the use of
the brain, which Is what one reads
with, Of course.