The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1873-02-13
[cenmuaissted.
AMONG MY BOOKS.

A library Of ones own, il treasure a.
most above price. No matter tho mum Dor
of books, let them be ones own, and it
seems to make an entire change in their
character. When I 60 into bookstore or
other general repository Of books, even
though may SEQ works having the same
name as those in my own library. tho feel.
ings awakened BY them are quite different.
l am intimately acquainted with John
Smith, who lives on my street, but an not
intimately acquainted with oil the John
smith's may meet In the world. always
I'll Ike saying ''aoea morning to ny
beoks. when I enter upsa the days veek.
W have entered upoa N intimate asqasia.
taass. They AZ ny dear friends and I
Am theirs. ! Am bound 70 b. theirs, for
they hold in their keeping many precious
secrets and il they take . dislike to ne
they will not open their hearts to my in
speetiol-and in that case would b try
ing to "make bricks without straw"
think have noticed another thing that
may be worth telling. When sometimes .
neighbour drops in to "borrov" you know,
just for few days, my books seem to
shrink back on the shelves and into the
corners, the black ores look blseker than
ever, the pink one turn purple, the sheep-
bound ones seem to cay, bahia, and the
gilt edges become suddenly dimmed. How
strange it is that Mr.. Borrower never secs
the commotion and ever takes tho hint.
He is both deaf and blind just then. At
such times my. sympathies are decidedly
with my books. Some that had the cruel
" to loan tumble down frem the shelves
and turning somerssults over the floor,
show how little strangers soiled and tore
the leaves and left their inky finger marks
in the wrong place ; while the bright and
smiling backs, will smile no moro forever.
And those abused books pay mo we'll for
such treatment; they show their teeth
whenever I 90 near them 4; it touch ono Of
them, it cries out its back looks sullen
and its face shows sigas of weeping, till
am glad to put it up again. l have noticed
anothe or matter, when my neighbour looks
At this one and theP 1t that, every move
showing thss no il smelgst strsn gers, ny
j books seem to wink at me, - much - 10
say, hunph! What dsss hs knew! 1t
seems 10 me Sometimes ~ II books tel in
quilted. Not long since took . learned
gentleman int my library and d you b.
lisve it, tho books sung out chow dye do
Lets get acquaintsd'' "1ou can sppreei-
ate us!" SO 10 began to lsok at thsi.
names. At last he took hold Of one that
bears . sanity .sms, 10 ia every good IL
brary and should be read by every man,
woman and child It WAS printed several
hundred years ago but it 10 like on,
friend Shakespeare. it will never grew
old. I asked him il he had read thai
''Ne." Oh if you had seen that book just
then. 1t was black. then purple and Grim.
son and at last blue with rage. "Never read
mel" ''never read me-" 1t fairly jumped
out Of his hand to its place on the shelf
And if you had heard the litter Of derisior
that run from book to book aud from shell
to shelf, you would b ave thought there VA
trouble coming. The big books shovel
contempt for him in their looks, the littl'
ones laughed out"right aud the thin sidet
ones set up such jabber that could no
hear what they were saying. They al
seemed relieved when he went away.
have tried sometimes to learn tho score
history Of some of these, ny pssso.a
friends. But find it Is not . payin,
business. Toy have many secrets vhicl
it il their parposs t. tell to any who vii
lister patiently, eaa to: tell them, 18th,
Joy Of their lie, but how they, came int
The world, hsrsand how they found thsi'
secrets. they do not care to tell. The!
are oPea.hssrtsd and generous 90 long .
you treat them we'll, and there il no a.
to their commuRicstiveness 20 long ~ 20
listen with teachabls mind. But il 20
pretend to greater knowledge than 20
really posses, it 10 wonderful how quiokl
they will find you out and then they vii
tell you nothing moro. Now Mr.. Editor,
you wish it, will IN other articles tell 70
something more about my books.
ZETA.