Having finished the all-important question of a title-page, which might be much more ornamental than the one above, begin the index on page 2 of the book.
Take a strip of paper of the same length as the pages in your book, and by doubling it in half twice and then dividing it into three equal parts, mark it off into twelve portions, as shown in Fig. B.
Fig. B.
Now place your strip alongside of the edge of page 2, and rule a line on the page exactly where the figure 1 has been put. Only a tiny line, about three-quarters of an inch in length, is needed. On page 3, again place your strip along the edge, and rule a line where the figure 2 occurs. On page 4 rule a line where the figure 3 is; on page 5 rule a line where the figure 4 is; on page 6 rule a line where the figure 5 is; and so on, till on page 12 you rule a line where the figure 11 is. I expect you see why I have done this. Now neatly cut from the bottom of page 2 a strip, three-quarters of an inch wide, as far as the line you have ruled. This will leave at the top of the page a piece of paper jutting out. On this write the letters AB in ink. Then on page 3 cut your strip three-quarters of an inch wide, up to the ruled line, and write CD on the little square which projects underneath AB; and continue to write two letters of the alphabet on each page till you get to page 12, when you must write UVW. On page 13 you can write XYZ. Now your index is complete so far as the lettering. The edge of your book should look something like Fig. C.
If you want the index to look still better, you should write the letters alternately in red and black ink.
On the first line of page 2 in your book put A, and turning over the leaf write B on the top line. On page 3 write C, and turning overleaf write D upon the top line. Thus you will have allotted a page to each letter in the alphabet, with the exception of the last six letters. I think I should put on the top line of page 12 U V, and overleaf write W, as W needs more room than U V. On page 13 write X Y, and overleaf Z.
Fig. C.
Now that the mysteries of what the bookbinders call “index cutting” have been overcome, nothing remains to be done in the way of preparing your scrap-book for the reception of the numerous newspaper cuttings which I hope will find a home therein.