FORMING A LIBRARY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1342, 20 January 1912, Page 9

FORMING A LIBRARY.

A glance at the Christmas displays in tho bookshops set-'air editorial writer of tho New York 'Tost" in the following sensiblo strain :—

■ The number' and . variety of books found in tho shops at this season must be tho wonder of all beholders. Much might be said of the handsome editions, with their elaborate illustrations, tcrne ;of them in colojr, many real if others are tawdry—stretches of river and farmstead, glimpses into 'ovely old gardens, splendid ruins, some highly successful interpretations of symbolic poems, and new ways of looking at things all about us, such as Mr. Hornby's etchings of Broadway. But what parti julariy strikes us is the sheer extent of tho output. Bewildering it must seem to many, and tho doubt will Lo what to do with so many books. Taken together with thoso issued in recent years; they include, in convenient form, over and above a host of novelties and superannuated nothings, virtually every important work that survives since the world began; not only all tho masterpieces of European literature, in tho broad sensa of tho wnrd, but. a great many lesser books which are useful for sketching in the background of the various periods. Tho last few years have seen a brave attempt to reclaim the test thcu.ght of tho Orient as \<ell; in f.ict, it would be hard to mention a countiy some of whose works tho 'bookiuakn's liavi not been concerned to bring tut in English translations. With the growing acquaintance among earth-dwellers the publishers have striven to keep abreast. Much lias teen/heard of the demoralising effect of too many books, and wo do not deny it. The deal of trash for every good |)ook that appears cannot fail to do harm, mainly in diverting people from ' what is excellent. Yet there are rare possibilities in the present situation. Tho chance to form valuable private libraries was never so great as to-day. ' Generally it is thought that no library is a thing of pride which docs not boast a rare first edition or" so, a fow curious old miscellanies, and, let us say, a volumo of Horace's odes wherein an eigliteentli century ancestor has written his own translation of "Integer vitac." On tho other hand, many >prized collections have had great-'gaps -in .' them • which would seem scandalous to-day. Tho fad of bibliophiles has put an undc'served cheapness upon modem reprints. True .bcokishness, in point of fact, is not always anUquariart; for tho majority of mankind it ought to be enough that for moderato expense they can havo beside them what the great minds of all ages have thought "'and felt.. This, rather than any desire for the old or merely curious, was what spurred o'l Petrarch in his perilous journeys in quest of classical writings. To-day tho labour of book-hunting is not what it was then, and yet there is often weariness of the flesh in it. Books come to us too lightly, and in our surfeit wo let slip tho chance to surround ourselves with what is truly good. AYo suspect that many readers lack a library because they do not know lioiv to make a beginning of it. The desire fo? -it is often there, and plenty of pathetic eases still exist of men, "like the brothers in "What Every Woman Jvnows," purchasing five yards of tho world s best literature. Publishers are willing—somewhat too willing—to give advice. Strange to say, tho masses have been better directed in this matter than those with thicker purses. President Eliot for one has attempted a good service. But it remains for other scholars to draw up longer lists of inexpensive but good editions of works ranging from ancient to modern times; to iniich the library-builder may turn with confidence. A single public lecture lias been known to stdrt men reading Yet too often the impulse is short-lived for lack of, sufficient understanding of the implements. There arc, of course, such inclusive series as Everyman's Library, but each year sees a number of new collections, and the reader's confusion grows. With expert assistance , one ought to be able in a few vears, at tlio expense of not more than two or three hundred dollars a year, to assemble a general library of literature, philosophy-, a-ul history, and with a few science books to boot.

But would men read, oncc they had the proper books? Love of good'books may bo inborn, but in no small mensure it can l:-e acquired. .Like one's fond- ! K '? ! .,k) r pictures, it may grow' from a habit into a very active"* enjoyment. Many will recall their puzzlement, even boredom, upon first visiting a gallery in Lurope, and. then from an increasing familiarity with the pictures the feeling of friendliness that came'as if from old acquaintances. It would be hard to determi.no how much in the appreciation of art is genuine, or truly understanding, and how much rests upon manifold assoc-'.a.fions with the objects viewed. But the initial "rapprochement" is the main thing, and that is a mechanical process, rravol-wora busing men are known to have thanked Gcd vociferously upon reaching a European town .that owned no gallery; and yet to the giillcries they do go, and willy-nilly carry away some knowledge, it is true, we believe, that this particular class knows more about pictures than almut literature. Yet the book habit should be the easiest of a,II to form. We have no illusion that, by artificial inea.ns people can bo turned of a sudden into a clerk of Oxford who would rather have at his bedcles head Twenty booke.; clad in black or reed than a comic supplement. There aro nevertheless plenty of families whoso capacity for good literature is not extinct, and who with the proper kind of help would take pride in having a library. And who shall say that with the knowledge that they had dircctly at hand th.2 ina.in ideas which have made their present existence what it is, they would not browse a bit, until from tho habit there came a wholesome curiosity ?