Evening star., 1932-06-10
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES Z. TRACEWELL.
One Of the happiest features of .

One Of the happiest features Of q
good book Is this. that to appreciate It
one does not have to be able to equal 1t
The nearer one can come to doing It.
however, the more right he has to feel
that he can appreciate 1t.
Just how much Of difference in ap-
probation this may make there Is no
way in the world Of determining.
All that can be said is that the great
no doubt enjoyed great books more
than the average run Of men.
This simply means that In apprecia-
tion as we'll as in creation, they were
ahead of the mass.
So much probably would be admitted
by the most jealous appreciator. the
booklover who prefers to feel that his
own bump of appreciativeness Is very
large.
There ought to have been coined
years ego some one word to designate
the man or woman who makes spe-
ciality Of appreciation.
There are. of course. scores Of words
to denote the specialist in various line:
of admiration. such as "booklover,'
artist" sculptor" and so on.
These are well known designations
for those persons who have. by special
zation made themselves comparative
masters Of certain forms Of endeavor.
They are. by the very words. &C
credited with knowing more than the
average man about the subjects under
consideration.
There is no real word however. te
designate appreciation as an art 1r
itself.
Perhaps this arises because admira
frH
are at the basis of appreciation. are
necessar.,' ingredients. and therefore
are supposed to be present In all cases
Sheer appreciation. on the othel
hand, is sort of creation in itself. 9
work, If one may call 1t such. which
not every one. even an admirer. car
do gracefully and at the same tim,
with real satisfaction to himself.
In the realm of books there are many
fake conniosseurs. some who fool them.
selves and others who try to FOOL othel
readers.
No art is cluttefed up with NOR,
sheer bunk than that Of reading ane
writing
Because education is universal" q.
1t is called. many people seem to hav.
the idea that appreciation necessarily
goes along as part OF the mental fare
or result
Nothing could be farther from tn,
truth.
Every one has known men and wom
en- who have read the greatest book.
in world literature without one sparl
Of appreciation or real comprehension
Of them.
Pinned down. somewhat cruelty. the,
will writhe under questions. shown,
nj hli,
giving rise to the belief, on the par
Of the queStioner. that they have nevel
even read what they pretended to read
This Is explained. in part. by tn,
fact that only in one other human ad
miration Is there more pretense thar
in literature. That is in the love o
dogs. Dogs are fashionable, and mani
who do not like them nevertheless pre-.
tend to be wild" about them.
In the world Of readers there ar,
scores Of pretenders. men and womer
who feel that because books are tn,
physical basis of teaching. somehow il
becomes necessary for them to become
bookmen. II they must carry tht
shelves by assault.
One much prefers those honest Eel
lows who state they find reading dull
and would rather 60 out for a triI
around the Tidal Basin.
At least they are honest
Books and reading. after all are bu
one phase OF this great and limitles
life in which We find ourselves.
The trouble with the specialist. IL
any line is that he comes to feel tha
his own little nook is the only one IL
the world.
For that reason We have never beer
able to feel that the so-called jack-of
ail-trades Is as shiftless as he ha.
Se5n painted, or that the amateur whit