know, as if you know them. The world will listen, for the world loves nothing so

much as real life.

 

_How to Use a Library_

 

Unsuspected treasures lie in the smallest library. Even when the owner has read

every last page of his books it is only in rare instances that he has full

indexes to all of them, either in his mind or on paper, so as to make available

the vast number of varied subjects touched upon or treated in volumes whose

titles would never suggest such topics.

 

For this reason it is a good thing to take an odd hour now and then to browse.

Take down one volume after another and look over its table of contents and its

index. (It is a reproach to any author of a serious book not to have provided a

full index, with cross references.) Then glance over the pages, making notes,

mental or physical, of material that looks interesting and usable. Most

libraries contain volumes that the owner is "going to read some day." A

familiarity with even the contents of such books on your own shelves will enable

you to refer to them when you want help. Writings read long ago should be

treated in the same way--in every chapter some surprise lurks to delight you.

 

In looking up a subject do not be discouraged if you do not find it indexed or

outlined in the table of contents--you are pretty sure to discover some material

under a related title.