Back When Books Mattered

    Premium subscribers to MM who expect at least one hundred posts per month are highly disappointed given that there have been only two for April. They reveal that the author has been on the road and in places that are warmer. It is hard to blog while driving and it is difficult to type while holding a Margarita in the glaring sunshine. 
   Now back in the north on cold day I will offer a post, but do not promise to provide ninety-seven more before Thursday. Those who want a refund can contact me through Rogers Communications where you may have to wait a while before getting through to an operator.
   The subject is books. Admittedly, interest in them has declined and that decline has been documented in MM which, you may have forgotten, trends toward the contrarian. Evidence that people once thought highly of books and even read them is proven below. The example also indicates that those who read were often clever writers. The person who placed this advertisement in The Times is clearly more upset about the loss of a book than the theft  of his sports car.

"Will the kind friend who removed a yellow Perry Coupé from the Winter Gardens, Bournemouth on Wednesday evening last, kindly return the copy of The Rough Road, found in the pocket, to the address on the flyleaf, Chelmsford, as it was borrowed?"
                                                                   The Times, 18, September 1919

   A Perry Coupé is pictured above. The Rough Road is likely the one written in 1918 by Willam J. Locke.

Post Script: 
   While I attempt to produce more posts, those who are disgruntled and in immediate need of something to read will find a free copy of the book on Project Gutenberg. And if you want more to read right now, here is a summary: 
"The Rough Road" by William John Locke is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story revolves around the life of James Marmaduke Trevor, affectionately known as "Doggie," who is depicted as a rather sheltered and effeminate young man shaped by the overprotective upbringing of his mother. As world events unfold, including the backdrop of World War I, the narrative explores Doggie's transition from a life of delicate comforts to ...."
   You are more likely to be interested in the Coupé than the book and if that is the case see these two old posts on MM, while I attempt to manufacture more - if the weather remains cloudy and cool.
Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance
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