Evening star., 1934-10-20
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES Z. TRACEWELL.

/ of men make no appeal to bias,
actually, although their authors may
have SO intended.
Their books exceed them. Print has
that quality. Good print on good
paper is a joo which requires exacti-
tude, common sense, adherence to
rules and order, the properties Of space,
the sense OF beauty.
These qualities strike every reader
of every properly printed book They
transgress the thought, in a sense,
and by their very placing make GER
tain that the reader must take time
/ to read.
II he takes time to read, If he does
the writer the justice to read. he
makes sure for himself that he will be
open to the finer points of logic and
subject to that good delay which Is
bound up with reading.
| =
One does not ordinarily rise red
eyed from reading, swearing venge-
ance and breathing destruction.
| That, fortunately, is not the way of
intelligence.
There is something calm and sane
about the art Of reading. There are
expert readers, Of course, and medium
readers. and mediocre readers, but all
OF them possess one virtue-that Of
a certain slowness Of approach.
1t Is this tortoise-like way, bound up
with type and paper, which enables
the mind to act consistent with itself.
The mind makes snap judgments,
for action, but In continuity of
thought the mind must take time
sufficient for It's needs.
The human intelligence at its best
is not hasty actor.
1t may pride itself on speed when
speed Is demanded, but when thoughts
in sequence are the issue 1t does its
best work by reliving, as it were, of
The actual thought process OF a writer.
That Is why the best reader in the
world, and with the best OF intent,
cannot be fair TO the writer he will
not read patiently. He does best to
go on to some reader he does like But
he must remember that his inability
is not necessarily judgment. There
are other readers who will find the
/ writer good, and give him the need
OF fair treatment. Thus, II a man
today finds himself unable to read
Mr.. Hoover's new book, let him go on
to some man he can read. but let
him not think that many other men
will not get much good and inSpira-
ton from Mr. Hoover.
/ The beauty Of book is that 1t
waits for its readers and amply bears
testimony to the truth OF John Bur-
roughs inspired thought, The friends
l seek are seeking me" 1t is SO with
books. Those that are good for US
have a way of finding us at last. We
never fear that there are thousands
OF great books which somehow we
have managed to miss and will never
find. No. that cannot be the case, for
the books intended for US come our
way at last, although late. Every
reader can feel sure that the books
which are really his. out Of the
worlds huge list, are known to him,
or will be known TO him. There are
mysterious currents which bear the
chosen volumes to his door. The in
PRODUCTION may be the word Of a
friend. or q chance sight OF an ad-
yertiSement, or glance downward
at table in book store. 1t makes
no difference. The books We seek
are seeking us, and not until the
crack Of doom will We give over ex-
pecting TO fnd something SO CON-
pounded OF honesty and eloquence
that it will raise us to stand with
transfigured face and cleaning eyes,
ready for action.