Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-01-10

Talking the other day to q collecto
| OF frst editions, we were led to realiz,
anew the great gulf of opinion which
exists between one who rides a hobb,
and one who does not ride that par
! ticular hobby.
Those acquainted with this column
for the past 10 years know that the
writer here Is no collector Of rare edi
tons. In the first place, he hasn't go
the money and, in the second, h,
hasn't the urge to do so.
To him, as to millions of other book.
lovers, the spirit of the book is tn.
1t has always seemed to him that mere
interest in the cost of book, or it.
age, or its binding. is hobby, pure
and simple. and has very little to dc
with real love of books.
In saying this much We wish EN-
phatically to add that we cast no re-
Elections, direct or implied, upon en-
thusiastic collectors around the world
OF all nations and ages, who have done
so much for bookdom by treasuring
rare books.
Just as long as they do not try to
convert some one else they are al
right. 1t is only when they attempt
to force others to consider books as
FIRST editions" only, and the like, thai
they become slightly wearisome.
In this they are no whit different
from the enthusiast in stamps, or trop-
ical fishes, or old bottles, who insist,
on considering what he collects from
the standpoint of his collections only
and never from the aspect of their rea
function in life.
The specialist, in any line, for the
most satisfaction to himself, should
never talk about his specially, except tc
other specialists. Then he will strike
spark for spark, feel more at home and
gain the greatest amount of satisfac-
ton from his own feelings.
Yet this is a lesson never learned
by so many fans" They want yol
to consider their interest solely as they
consider 1t. If, for instance, theirs
happens to be books as first editions
they want you to think only of books
as first editions. never as books. ....
Their interest, alas, is not books, but
in something which has been done tc
books. One may have suspicion that
they are rather overcome by the none
tsrv value of their treasures. to the
exclusion of the reading value Of the
works themselves.
What time, and chance. and the laws
Of averages have done to certain
volumes Is what interests them the
most. To this viewpoint, of course
they have every right.
But why should any other booklover
be forced to view books from that
angle?
After all, 1t Is very small angle,
despite the enormous sums of money
bound up in it, and annually spent on
it in all parts of the civilized world.
THE world of books is greater than
you know, gentlemen" one feels like
saying to some of these enthusiasts.
Some men become enamored of
leather bindings. They rip the honest
covers of the books they buy, and
bind them all in calf, or morocco, or
levant
Perhaps they fancy dark green for
every book they own. There is a woman
in this town who had her entire home
library bound in red and black, to har-
monte with the furnishings Of her
living room.
These matters are interesting, but
they have nothing at all to do with
books. at least with that part of a book
which makes it worth while, its spirit.
Let any man be interested in such
matters, If he pleases, just so long as
he does not attempt to tell me that
must be interested In them, too.
He should remember that his interest,
after all, is but one facet Of glitter
ing gem, the gem of the ages, many
think, OF that purest ray serene which