Evening star., 1945-09-21
This and That
By Charles E. Trace1peU

Any one who likes to read could 90
through three or four books a week,
easlly-but how many could keep it up
for eight years?
Especially if confined to wheel chair
with broken hip, and particularly if
one were S8 years old, and read entirely
without the aid of glasses?
We have been wondering about this,
ever since we saw the account of the
old ladys death in the hometown paper,
Three or four books week, to a total
OF $500 volumes, makes an imposing
achievement.
PROBABLY few persons many years her
junior. even when they regard them
selves as real book fans, do as well.
In addition to this number of books,
she read the newspapers every dav.
keeping herself we'll abreast of the war,
and from time to time read MANY maya
zines as tidbits
1t is presumed that she had access to
radio, but there is something after all.
to the feel of a book, newspaper or
magazine in the hand
Ihose long lines of people in cities
where there have been newspaper
strikes of one sort of another standing
IN line to get their papers, show how
many people feel about this.
Listening is one thing, but seeing and
feeling are part of reading. and verv
important parts, too, although at times
we may tend to overlook them.
~ **
Many ardent book readers are SIR
prised. as they reach middle age, to
nno that their reading powers, along
with their physical, let down severely
They take first one book, then an
other, until they have half a dozen
books going at the same time.
Ultimately they may finish them all
out later they discover, to their chaprin
that the end of many volumes escapes
them forever.
Ihey may try to save face, as the
Japs say, by believing, or even declaring
that the books are so dull that thev
cannot get through them.
II they will stop to recall the past
and be utterly fair to themselves, they
Will realize that in the old DAYS, gone
beyond recall, they finished everything
and with infinite gusto.
Those were the reading days!
When Rider Haggard was in flower
and She" was the talk of the hook
world. When Olive Schreiner's Story
OF South African Farm" held atten-
ton
When Maurice Thompson wrote alice
OF Old Vincennes," and the Bowen
Merrill Co. of Indianapolis, as it was
then, advertised in the back of that
book the following volumes:
The Redemption of David Corson, y
by Charles Frederic Goss; "Sweepers of
the Sea-" by Claude H. Wetmore: THE
Penitentes," by Louis How; THE Legion
aries" by Henry Scott Clark, a story
of Morgans raid; THE Black VOLTS
Breed" by Harris Dickson, and with
Hoops of Steel" by Florence Finch
Kelly.
This last was "a fine story of the cow
boy at his BEST" the blurbs said.
Maurice Thompson wrote Alice OF
Old Vincennes" in 1900. He lived quietly
at Charlottesville, Ind, where Wabash
College was then as now, having beer
founded in 1928.
'Thel Wizardy of Archery" and Hannah
Krout penned Little Brown Hands," 9
poem which most people knew then, but
very few could recite today.
The writer here recalls having reac
Rider Haggard's "She" while perched ir
a hammock swung high under the roo1
Of porch at Ocean City, Md. That
was the fashion at that time at tha
seashore resort.
Waves broke not 100 yards away
and strong salt winds rocked the higf
hammock back and forth, but the small
boy In 1t was Oh on the most wonderful
| Of Ill adventures.