Evening star., 1933-02-09

There Is one genuine fault in q home
library that Is seldom mentioned.
1t is that none of the shelves gives
that musty smell so pleasant in a larger
collection, wherein 1t is physically i'm
possible to keep the books busted
One meets this booky odor at its best
in the closely piled stacks of second
hand stores.
There the booklover finds something
to stir his senses as well as his mind.
1t is fragrance composed of a mix
ture of paper. ink, leather, covers,
mucilage and dust.
These and other ingredients enter
into this bookish odor so familiar to
those who love all the aspects of their
divine hobby
1t is pleasure to 60 roaming through
the narrow aisleS with books stacked
to the ceiling Evidently the proprietor
OF the place feels the same way about
it, because he Is always glad to have
visitors.
Another element enters into the fine
fragrance OF which we speak.
1t is time.
Only old books possess it. A new
volume has another, distinct odor.
Old books, old in point of time, finally
come to have musty smell, especially
when kept in rows.
This brings us to another element
entering into our fragrance.
This is lack of motion
Books in such places are stacked away,
and left to themselves to slumber until
a purchaser finally comes.
1t may be scores of years before he
arrives on the scene.
In that time even the newest book
has an opportunity to take on the
physical aroma of an old book.
No matter how often the books are
busted, a certain amount of the finest
particles will stick to the top.
Every time they are busted again,
little more adheres, so that in the
course of 10 or 20 years there is a solid
layer of gray-colored dust coating the
upper edges of the leaves.
One of the pleasures in searching out
old books consists in critically examin-
ing this layer, and later in removing it.
Nothing excels a gum eraser.
Most friends of books know how this
work should be done, but for the
benefit OF the newcomer, who may lack
experience, we set down here the method
as used by old-timers.
The book is held with the back
bone to the left.
1t is held tightly between the thumb
anu llrSI unger OF the left hand at the
top by the title on the back.
The gum eraser is held in the right
and carefully brushed along the closely
held page top
No matter how small the bit of eraser
uSed-and it should be small-there is
bound to be narrow track of gray
black left along each edge.
The removal of this calls for the
opening of first one cover and then
another, as the eraser is moved care
fully along the smudge to be removed.
Care must be taken, else some of the
pages will be crumpled, than which
nothing is more distressing to the finicky
lover of books.
Yes, this type Of enthusiast is quite
at home in secondhand shops. It is
amazing in what fine condition many
volumes remain, over the years, how
carefully they are protected here.
Many a book which has slumbered
unmolested on shelf for years has
title page without mark on it, whereas
the latest magazine (carfeully folded
down the middle by the postman) often
reaches the finicky one in a condition
which makes him writhe at the sight.
When a book is kept on a shelf, 1t
has protection on both sides and the
bottom, at least.
What is of even more Importance, It