By J. C. Squire
Q. What sort of books were presented by the British public to soldiers?
A. Most of the books presented by the public to the troops were quite ordinary and suitable. However, there were also odd things like magazines twenty years old, guides to the Lake District, and back numbers of Whitaker’s Almanac.
Q. Was it the interest of soldiers that prompted their action, or was it the wish to get rid of useless books? OR Why did people give their books to the troops?
A. Some books, no doubt, were proof of the interest of the public. However, some people also jumped at the opportunity to get rid of unwanted books.
Q. Why should bad books be destroyed?
A. It is good to destroy bad and unwanted books. Destruction makes room for new books. It also saves one’s heirs from the trouble of sorting out the rubbish or storing it.
Q. Why is it difficult to destroy books?
A. It is difficult to destroy books because they die hard. It is sometimes difficult to find a scaffold for them.
Q. Why could not the author burn unwanted books?
A. The author could not burn the unwanted books because there was no kitchen range. There was another humorous reason for which he could not toast them on the gas cooker. It is almost impossible to burn a book without opening it. Therefore, he could not consume them leaf by leaf in his small study fire.
Q. How did the author decide to get rid of the unwanted books? OR Describe the author’s midnight venture to throw the books in the river and the suspicions his actions were likely to arouse.
A. The writer stuffed all the books into a sack, put it on the shoulder, and stepped into the street at midnight. Passing through the travellers, he reached the bridge. The apprehension of being caught by the police retarded him. But, he mustered up his courage and flung the sack into the river. He could be suspected of carrying swag or throwing a baby into the river.
Q. How did he muster up courage at last to fling the books into the river?
A. The writer felt ashamed of his cowardice. He thought of being hanged. The next moment, it dawned on him that better men than him had gone to the gallows. At this thought, he took a heave with the courage of despair and flung the sack into the river.
Q. Did the writer come to have a feeling for the books once he had got rid of them?
A. Yes, the writer felt pity for the books. They would be subsiding at the ooze of the bottom of the river, lying forlorn and forgotten.
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