Evening star., 1932-09-05

said and 'she said" previously read.
Nothing lets a reader down quite so
far as that feeling that he has already
read something or other, and only now
realizes it. "Pshaw, I have already
read thatl' IEe feels as if the writer
had tricked him, in a low way. and
rather ought to be ashamed of himself.
The bookmark will save both reader
and writer from such unwanted ehects.
Nor does it make the slightest bit OF
difference what the marks are made OF.
Women like letters, which they stun
between pages, no matter how bulky.
Fat letters, so used, tend to distort
; the pages of fair books, and give the
covers a tendency to acquire bowlegs.
Wherefore the conscientious reader
(some might call him the finicky
reader) will prefer the use OF some
more slender mark. such as thin
strip of paper, or cardboard, such as
visiting card. The latter. indeed, makes
a most excellent booknark.
Every reader is familiar. too. with
/ the long ribbons bound in with the
covers. These are utilitarian to de-
gree. although no doubt there chief
| aim was to be ornamental.
Some may prefer to regard these
bound-in marks as somewhat disagree
able in handling. The thing is forever
getting in the way of cne's fingers, or
struggling down the page, or lying un-
tidily on the table.
In practice. this type of bookmark
often is placed between the back cover
and the remainder of the book. and
permitted to stay there for the natural
life of the volume.
A few readers even go to the extent
Of excising them from their books with
a pair of sharp scissors. Quite often
this leaves a ragged edge, however, and
the practice is not be recommended.
Fancy bookmarks of various metals
and other materials are to be secured.
Some of these unfortunately leave
dented places in the pages, much as
so-called paper clips, familiar IN a
million offices, do.
The very best bookmark. some may
think. is the simple piece of paper, torn
from the margin Of a newspaper. This
should be torn so that it is about 3 or
q inches long, about quarter OF an
inch wide, at one end and a half-inch
at the other.
The narrow end should be left to
protrude from the pages OF the BOOK,
perhaps as much as q quarter OF an
inch of it. or even half inch.
Those who have not used this type
of bookmark will find 1t always avail
able. and Just another striking instance
of the good use which may be made
of old news print. There is no article
in the modern world which costs so
much to create, so little to buy, and
which gives so much as the newspaper.
No one who has had the privilege OF
writing for great daily but has been
thrilled. despite his years, at the receipt
of a letter from Paris saying that the
writer found copy Of your paper IN
the gardens at Versailles with several
sentences from your article underlined.
But this is mental and spiritual usage
of a great newspaper. There are scores
of practical uses afterward, such as
kindling the furnace fire. wrapping up
the wash. and so on. Nothing Is more
intriguing. for instance, than to find
ones article of several days previous
serving in a fine old age as wrapping
for half a dozen lamb chops.
There are as many bookmarks as
there are readers, and no one who
prizes his own moods should permit any
one. no matter how sincere that one
may be, to dictate what type he should
use.
Happily the ma ajority of human beings
are too much engrossed with their
problems of getting ahead to bother
about such small things as bookmarks
and what use their friends and &C
uuaintances make Of them.
No government has as yet set up. a
public censorship Of bookmarks, or de-
creed which types one may or may
not use.
Every reader is free to use slip OF
paper, or a letter, or a knife, or rubber
band, or a paper clip, or whatnot. or
even a shoe. Here, too, it is just a
matter of taste