Evening star., 1932-09-03

That is the theory of it. One ought
to know.
But does one7
Not always, not even the most expert
enced reader. The more one has read.
IN fact, the more likely one Is to know
that the mind should be reserved for
reading, not bothered with such mere
mechanical details as where one left on
: and where one should begin again.
No matter how interesting narrative
or how compelling the argument Of
some other type of work, readers who do
not use bookmarks find themselves TAX
ing up the book pages in arrears, then
suddenly realizing, why, I have read
this oncel"
1t is worse than solemnly reading a
newspaper, to rind out after awhile that
it was yesterdays issue, already perused
carefully.
There Is no good reason why the
mind should be burdened with remem-
bering an exact page. So why not use
slip of paper? In fact, few readers
actually recall the exact page, even II
they pride themselves on doing SO.
1t will be discovered, If there could
be any way Of finding out such things,
that scarcely any one hits the precise
line or even page, but normally beglns
at one of two places.
| Either the reader goes too far back
and reads what he has already read, or
begins too far ahead and finds he has
missed something. He must go back,
then, in an attempt to find out what
he has skipped.
II he is a reader, in the best sense,
he will know exactly when he crossed
the equator which divides the portion
already read through from the remain
der OF the book.
For certain natures this method has
its advantages, since 1t refreshed The
mind which needs such refreshing.
Most readers will ind that the use of
small bookmark, If no more elaborate
than strip torn of the margin of
newspaper, is a real aid to keeping
ones place" and permitting one to go
right ahead from where one left off.
This Is as important on street cars
and buses as any place else, even more
SO, perhaps, since ordinarily such a
reader must get interested in what he IS
reading before he can go on with the
story"
Vehicular reading demands certain
kind of concentration, no doubt of that.
The curious will find that persons
who make a practice of such reading
pay little, If any, attention to what goes
on around them, or who comes in or
who goes out.
Greta Carlo herself might sit down
beside them, they would go right ahead
with their books. Only an accident of
some sort would jar their eyes from
the page.
Yet they never oyerstay their corner
on bus or street car, but automatically
reach up for the bell at exactly the
right time.
This would seem to indicate that the
public utility reader (of books, not the
man who reads the meters, of course)
is a master of his art, a finished speci-
men of the reading man or woman.
He will always, always have the SYM
pathy of the reader who would like to
read in transit. but whose eyes will not
permit him to do so.
The jiggle and joggle makes such
reading extremely difficult and un-
pleasant to such persons; they will do
best to confine themselves to papers
with plenty of big type and pictures,
perhaps.
Even they, however can study this
problem, from their own peculiar view
point, and find out whether certain
types of transit are easier on their
eyes.
One way of reading average book
type comfortably on public vehicle
is to read page at time, then look
out the window for a block, then read
another page, and SO to the Office.
This higgledy-p -piggledy method will
not get through as many pages, no
doubt, but it will be easier on eyes and
nerves, and accomplish something
toward getting the book finished.
No book should be left up In the air,
on public utilities or elsewhere. Get
through with It! Not every reader will
need this advice but some do, and they
should take it to heart.