from contact with a genuine piece of
creative work is sensibly diminished,
and may be finally lost. The deli-
cacy of the mind is both precious and
perishable; it can be preserved only
by associations which confirm and
satisfy it. For this reason, among
others, the best books are the only
books which a man bent on culture
should read; inferior books not only
waste his time, but they dull the edge
of his perception and diminish his
capacity for delight.

This delight, born afresh of every
new contact of the mind with a real
book, furnishes indubitable evidence
that the reader has the feeling for
literature, -- a possession much rarer
than is commonly supposed. It is
no injustice to say that the majority
of those who read have no feeling for
literature; their interest is awakened

[[64]]

p063 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p064w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p065

v?