Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-22
THIS AND THAT
By CHARLES 4. TRAcEWELL.

of writing, II not actually In the fr,di-
vidua1 copy, Is the only sort which will
enable q reader with Imagination TO
live again the very days about which
he Is reading.
History. therefore, cannot be sur
passed as o record OF mankind. with
all their faults, the historians do give
us human beings. II they put too great
an accent on wars, IS perhaps they do,
| 1t may be forgiven them, on account Of
the Nationwide acceptences Of the
scythe Of warfare through the ages.
II q reader wants to know something
about the pioneers OF America let him
90 back to Prescott, rather than read
| some more poppy" modern who strains
his facts through Prescott and others
| first and then colors them to suit q
more sophisticated age.
| Nor can the foot notes be disreRarded.
| We love foot notes. A history with
without the surrender of CORVALLIS.
Why, no one would ever have heard of
Yorktown If it hadn't been for Corn
wallis!
The foot note Is the gossip Of his
] tory, the sidelights, Is we say nova
days, upon the glittering facets Of his
tory.
To be q true 1901 note the 1nfofma~
ton should be put ut the bottom of the
page, as the name suggests, and not in
an appendix.
Historical writer's, of course, have al
ways been ut odds upon this matter.
One school is for making foot note
note at the foot Of the page, and
nothing else. Hence 1t happens In such
works, that often the notes ustlrp the
greater part Of several pages, and rele-
gate the history itself to a thin stream
The other school, going on the theory
that the notes tend to distract the
reader from the narrative now, relegate
all of them to the back of the book,
where they sometimes occupy a solid
section almost as large as the body
Of the work. In such an instance the
asteriSl-, the dagger, or whatever it-is,
refers the reader succinctly to Note
CxXVII, Appendix; but the "dear
reader" seldom takes the trouble TO re-
fer there. He goes right ahead read
ing, and the content of the notes ia
largely lost to him, except in such cases
as promise something spicy, when he
may 60 to the trouble to turn back.
And then he is often disappointed. as
have dssconcerting habit Of putting
such notes In Latin.
r =
We take our stand on the side OF
foot notes at the bottom Of the page.
That Is the proper place for them,
In accordance with their name.
While point Is fresh in the mind
Is the time to read more about 1t, and
II the historian can give Us q few as
sorted facts. in addition, we are glad
for them, and are willing to read them
at once, without the bother Of ftimbIine
IN the back Of the book.
Why cannot the information which
foot notes give be Incorporated IN the
body Of the work2
That Is q fair question, and common
sense answers it. Much of IL could be
and ought to be, but some Of It, being
in the nature of . mere aside, Is not
Of the type which tustiies its inclusion
in the staSely now Of historical nara
tive.
These items at the bottom Of pages
are often heresay and circumstantial
evidence, offered by the writer because
the information may be true, and as
least Is interesting.
Foot notes are human material. and
IS such have much warmth and charm
for the right reader. He, worthy man
Is he who believes in being rooted il
the past, and who knows no better way
OF nourishing the present and the f,l-
ture than by reading old books.