Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-12
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRAcEWELL.

deal more than the average man has
among men.
What gives book distinction is that
1t Is reflection Of q mind. Good,
holy. wise, common, vulgar, nasty-a
book may be any Of these. But what
ever 1t is, it comes from q similar hui
man mind
When the mind Of man Joins hand
with art, servant of beauty, the chances
are very great that the resulting pro.
ductt0n win be something worth while,
in 80 far Is human beings can achieve
| things worth while.
That Is why a book as a thing Is
distinct from book as a book. He who
does not see this must study the matter
until he does. A horse is q horse, but
1t also Is beast OF burden. A book is
a book-that is. has q certain reading
content-but also it Is q thing, an
article to be well cared for In a book
case, to be loved for itself and handled
with discrimination.
\ y + y
ooh, to handle books carefully is such
bore!" some one says. II would rather
not read than be afraid to handle
them"
Yet babies are handled carefully, and
books are even less defenseless than
babies. Just as no one thumps q baby
down, but puts 1t down tenderly, so
good books deserve careful treatment.
This kindness to books may become
such part OF q reader that 1t Is no
longer bore, but becomes q normal
action.
When 1t does, he no longer viii grasp
a book that has never before been
opened and with one mighty wrench
break its backbone squarely asunder.
He will no more think of so treating
book than he would any other friend.
He will realize that a new book Is
rather stiff in its joints, and that these
must be limbered UP bit before it u
really readable-in q physical sense.
This is such an easy trick that 1t Is
q mournful fact that it is not known
to thousands of booklovers, yet such is
the case. All one has to do Is open
the front and back covers carefully,
pressing each down on the table. Then
begin to press down q page at the
front, then q page at the back, con-
tinuing until one finally arrives at the
center Of the volume. If one likes the
exercise and the quiet moments, he may
further safeguard the book against
splitting by pressing down the pages
from the front to the last page, then
through the volume from the last page
to the first.
This viii make any book "lie nat"
and help preserve 1t from the onslaughts
Of those careless and indifferent per-
sons who would thoughtlessly break the
back Of the finest book ever turned out
from press.
+ * &k
| The reader here used to dislike
jackets on books and invariably take
them of his own, but in the process
Of much lending he has come to realize
that a good, stout jacket Is a free gift
from the publisher.
The real booklover will never handle
any book, his own or another's, with
buttery or sticky fingers. but there
are thousands of readers loose in the
land who have no such tnhibitions.
Often their progress through work
can be traced by trail Of chocolate,
smeared on page after page; or by but
ter. or by coffee, or by-Heaven help
books apple juice.
Coffee or chocolate a decent book
may stand, but apple and butter make
IL feel squeamish. Good books have
told us this In confidential moments,
and we are passing the information on
for the good Of the general public.
If one must eat while reading, let
him select chocolates, or even q cup of
coffee, but let him defer the eating of
bread and butter, hot buttered popcorn,
or app1es until another time