It knows me in all my moods, and responds to each, no matter how irritable I am.

Yes, it is pretty badly marked up now, for a fact, isn't it?
Black; I never thought of that before that it doesn't make a book look any better to the eye.
But it means more to me because of all that pencilling.
"Now, some folks dislike my use of my books in this way.

They love their books so much that they think it nothing short of sacrilege to mark up a book.

But to me, that's like having a child so prettily dressed that you can't romp and play with it.

What is the good of a book, I say, if it is too pretty for use?
I like to have my books speak to me, and then I like to talk back to them.
"Take my Bible, here," he continued, as he took up an old and much-worn copy of the book.