Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-07
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRAcEWELL.

instantly restores books to their ancient
heritage So viewed, their misuse is
almost sacrilege.
The old cult of light Summer read
ing" was insisted upon so assiduously
by publishers that the simple truth,
that discriminating persons. young and
old, read what they pleased, when they
pleased, was .obscured.
The truth was that small boys were
then, as now, the leaders in the new
movement. While their elders were
praising When Knighthood Was in
quietly to the public library" and
withdrawing The Count of Monte
CriSto," With Cortez in Mexico, 4"
and With Fire and Sword"
Since the boys did not keep up with
the new books, they found time to look
into the grand old ones which in every
age since they were written have held
the interest of men.
Many a little fellow. all unknown
to his parents, got himself the three
volumes of Montaigne's Essays" and
read, without hurt to his immortal soul,
the classic honesty of the bluff old
Frenchman.
If mother had come upon her hope
ful reading the lines of the essay ITO
Venus" she might have thought that
Johnny would have been ruined for
life but the truth was that John knew
a great deal more than mother thought
he did, and fully appreciated the good
points in that and other essays. 1t
did him no harm, either then or later,
but only good, as is the province of
good writing at all times and places.
When Aunt Mary discovered him
reading Plutarch's account of the GUS
toms of the Spartans, she nearly had
duck fit" as the homely old phrase
put it. Aunt Mary, however, was mis-
taken in her righteousness. She was
more righteous than correct. Plutarch's
sterling simplicity and honesty never
did aught but benefit.
X x X
Now that John has grown out of the
supervision of mothers and aunts,
dubious literary judges at best, no doubt
there are many names of good books
sticking in his mind, books which he
has been promising himself all these
years to read, but which, for one or
more of number of good reasons, he
has mot got round to-"
Summer is the very time. appointed
of the years, for reading or rereading
those fine old books which time will not
let die. Their Immortality is a part of
their essence. What better Summer
re lding.' in the best and only true
sense, is there than THE Pickwick
Papers?
How many English-speaking people
there are who have not read that
perennial masterpiece of British fun!
Perhaps they have read few chapters,
or half of it. Now is the best time to
read all Of it.
There are the plays of Moliere. Every
one has read two or three of them, but
how many have read them all? And
Where are there plays more worthy to
be read by every one interested in the
craft of the theater?
One has but to dip into Moliere to
find there ageless lines, as apt today as
when written, as good then as they will
be a hundred years from now. When
men write as well as Moliere did their
language does not matter-the world
makes beaten path to the door of their
novels, plays, essays.
Although the weather may not tenn
per the breeze to the Shorn lamb, the
reader may temper his clothes to fit the
weather, and in q state of proper I'M
dress, enjoy some of the good things
of literature which he has been prom
iSing himself ever since he got out of
school" The going may not be easy,
at first, but he may rest assured that
if he perseveres until he gets his old
reading taste back again he will find
many and wholesome delights awaiting
him,