Evening star., 1933-03-18
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

| Here are the "A" authors, whose last
names begin with that initial letter.
One thinks to find . complete set Of
the writings Of Miss Jane Austen. but
discovers only two volumes, Pride and
Prejudice" and Emma"
| Here are four books by one Jane r
Austin, an American writer.
Somehow one Is irked not to ind all
! of "the" Jane Austen here. This Is
the very place her books should be, In
this half light, IN this fine booky
| atmosphere.
Few readers Of today ever heard of
heard of England,s Jane Austen, either
Whether 1t makes any difference about
the former the pedestrian along this
way does not know, as he has never
read . book Of hers. He does know
however, that any one who appreciates
| q good story told with humor and In
sight Is missing a great deal II he does
not know the one and only Jane.
Just how many persons there are who
are missing this treat he has no way of
knowing, but he suspects that there
must be thousands Of them. In the
first place, many readers labor under
the delusion that there Is something
particularly modern" whatever that
may be, about the very latest book which
somehow makes it better than one
or two centuries ago.
These stacked shelves, rising quietly
all around one, say different. A good
book Is always a good book, no matter
when published. because 1t was written
by human mind, and must be read by
the same. If it was ever good. the
chances are very large that 1t will still
be good. But since thinking work OF
minds Is Intangible. no man has yet
devised a sure test for literary greatness
So many thousands Of words enlisted
one after the other on paper do not
make greatness, necessarily. Nor does
age detract from, but 1t rather adds to
essential worth.
Many q reader. too, has not taken the
"time" out to make q careful, mature in.
vestigation Of much Of what he was
supposed to have learned" in his
school days If he ever took" thc his
tory Of English literature, in any form
he no doubt read about Jane Austen
and was supposed to have waded
through Pride and Prejudice" at the
least Because 1t was task, he hated
it; because he was not old enough, and
did not have enough experience. he did
not appreciate 1t Of himself. but only
because of the professors insistence.
Here on the shelves are many names
not only of authors really forgotten, but
| Of titles even more thoroughly gone the
way Of forgetfulness. The old standbys
of the centuries loom like lighthouses
by comparison. The gold Of the letter.
| ing may be tarnished, but still CLEANS
bright enough in the dimness Of the one
light. which the stroller pulls on by
means Of great long cord.
The light cuts q swath through the
darkness, revealing the long rows, to
the ceiling. the track Of the ladder. and
| that necessary vehicle itself on its small
| wheels, ready to be run along the
shelves, so that the seeker after enter
tainment, wisdom and all the other fine
things one gets from books may lose
no time in finding the very volume he
wants.
Height, physically, lures him on.
What is that queer little volume up
there In the caves. at the very top OF
all. in its strange colored binding, with
its curious form?
The booklover never finds out. because
suddenly he realizes that 1t is time to
60. he has stayed too long already in
this fascinating place. with its furni-
ture made up Of the minds and heart
beats OF humanity.
He must 60 now. He turns out the
light. and finds himself in a cave. from
which he is glad to escape at last. into
the hurly-burly, from dust to gasoline
in a moment.