other
treatment for them than a visit to the binder's? That depends entirely
upon one's energy, one's capacity for taking pains, one's neatness of
finger, and the time at one's disposal. As I have said, the pleasure in
handling volumes so attired is sufficient excuse for a desire to retain
them in their original condition as long as possible. There is a facility
in opening, a lightness in holding, and a simple charm in their
appearance that is unknown to their more richly clad brethren. Our
book-hunter for his part has long since given up sending such volumes to
the binder's. Let the adept exercise his craft upon tomes in worn-out
leather bindings; with the repairing of books in their original boards
our amateur himself will deal.

It is not a difficult matter, and it can be done by the bibliophile at
home. The first requisites are some sheets of strong, tough paper, brown
and coloured. These can be procured for a few pence from any
paper-merchant or place where they sell wrapping-paper. A pot of
'Stickphast' paste, a pencil, a ruler, a pocket-knife, and a pair of
scissors are the accessories. Sometimes it is necessary only to re-back
the volume. This is a simple matter. First of all the tattered paper on
the back is scraped off, then a strip of brown or coloured paper is cut
the required width and an inch and a half longer than the height of the
volume. Cover the strip with paste, then take the volume in your left
hand and paste the back and half an inch on to the sides, having first of
all placed a sheet of clean paper, slightly larger than the book, inside
the cover at each end (_i.e._ under the boards). This is to prevent
soiling.

Now press the back of the book on to the strip, lying on the table ready
pasted, so that it adheres; and with your right hand press the sides of
the strip over on to the sides of the book. Experience will quickly teach
you that if you use too much paste you will make a mess; whilst if you
use too little the strip will not stick. If the paper is very thick it is
necessary to rub the paste well into it.

Next put the back of the book upon the table (which we trust you have
covered with a newspaper) and allow the boards to fall flat, holding the
leaves upright. Now comes the tricky part of the business: you have got
to fold the projecting ends of the new back _over_ the top and bottom of
the boards and _under_ the body of the book. If this is not quite lucid,
get a volume in boards and h