The best bound books
are soonest injured, and quickly deteriorate in bad company.
Certain volumes, indeed, have evil tempers, and will scratch
the faces of all their neighbours who are too familiar with them.
Such are books with metal clasps and rivets on their edges;
and such, again, are those abominable old rascals, chiefly born
in the fifteenth century, who are proud of being dressed in REAL
boards with brass corners, and pass their lives with fearful knobs and
metal bosses, mostly five in number, firmly fixed on one of their sides.
If the tendencies of such ruffians are not curbed, they will do
as much mischief to their gentle neighbours as when a "collie"
worries the sheep. These evil results may always be minimized
by placing a piece of millboard between the culprit and his victim.
I have seen lovely bindings sadly marked by such uncanny neighbours.
When your books are being "dusted," don't impute too much common
sense to your assistants; take their ignorance for granted,
and tell them at once never to lift any book by one of its covers;
that treatment is sure to strain the back, and ten to one the weight
will be at the same time miscalculated, and the volume will fall.
Your female "help," too, dearly loves a good tall pile to work at and,
as a rule, her notions of the centre of gravity are not accurate,
leading often to a general downfall, and the damage of many a corner.
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