life-blood of a master spirit, imbalm'd and treasur'd up on purpose to a
Life beyond Life.'

It is not only the critic who destroys books, for neglect may approach
dangerously near to wanton destruction. At the least, he who regards not
the welfare of his books is an accessory before the fact of their
destruction. 'Books,' says that veteran bibliophile M. Octave Uzanne,
'are so many faithful and serviceable friends, gently teaching us
everything through their persuasive and wise experience.' Surely if good
books are so much to us, such a great part of our lives, it behoves us to
respect them not a little. Have they not taught us, guided us, advised
us, soothed us, and amused us from our youth up? And is it meet that we
should repay their constant friendship with indignity?

'Thou, whosoever thou art that studiest in this book,' wrote an unknown
book-lover many centuries ago upon the margin of a favourite volume,
'take heed to turn the leaves lightly and smoothly, that thou mayest
avoid tearing them on account of their thinness; and seek to imitate the
example of Jesus Christ who, when He had gently opened the book of Isaiah
and read it with attention, at length closed it reverently and returned
it to the minister.'

On this subject of shelving our book-hunter can speak from experience,
for he has provided proper accommodation for a thousand to three thousand
volumes in three temporary abodes.[47] It takes a little time, a fair
amount of trouble, and an outlay of three or four pounds; but when once
accomplished such shelving is a thing of no small pride to oneself, and
the object of a good deal of admiration by one's friends. Briefly, the
plan he has always adopted is to erect shelves of pine or deal stained
brown, nine inches wide and five-eighths or three-quarters of an inch
thick, along the entire walls of his sanctum. It is firmly made and will
last a lifetime, yet it can readily be taken to pieces in a few minutes.

[Illustration: THE HOME-MADE LIBRARY]

In erecting such shelving the first thing to do is to estimate how many
feet of it you will require. On an average one foot will contain ten
octavo or quarto volumes or six folio ones. There should be ten inches
between the shelves for octavos, twelve inches for quartos, and
fourteen inches for folios: while at the bottom you may have a shelf
sixteen inches in height for such large folios as you may acquire or
already possess. Should the huge folios (almost foli