Morning journal and courier., 1886-09-14
LADIES IN LIBRARIES.
London Readers Object to Their Pres-
 ence as Annoying.

kx
 ence Annoying.
 From the London Saturday Review.l
 The education of woman is more directly
 threatened by the remonstrances of readers
 in the British museum library. They com
 plain, in newspapers autumnally vacant, that
 woman makes the reading room 8 place
 where study is impossible. The frou7frou of
 her silken Iaiment is censured; she shall not
 walk in silk attire among the books 1t the
 correspondents of the newspapers can pre-
 vent it. They also grumble that they can
 not slake the dust of the floor by scattering
 ink from their pens thereon, as it seems to
 be their habit for fear of plotting the skirts
 of ladies' They also report-we fear with some truth-that woman talks and whispers and giegles beneath the stately dome; nay, that she fiirts and eats strawberries behind folios in the society of some happy student of the opposite sex. When she does read she is accused of reading novels and newspa- pers, which she might better procure else where Certainly novel readers in the crowd ed museum library are sitting where they ought not, and occupying room more needed than their company, unless they are very pretty indeed, when only Carlyle would ob feet to them. It is understood that Mir. Car lyle neglected the museum collection of pam | phlets on the French revolution because he was not allowed to have a room all to him | self Indeed no reader of his memoirs can imagine true Thomas enjoying himself in the | reading-room. He would, like his namesake, have 'sspi- d fairlie with his 'ee" in every direction, and would have used the most as- tonishing language to the attendants who ! did not bring his books at moments notice To tell the truth, the museum reading | room is not the place for fastidious scholar | npI h0a lt, place gives most people the headache; tne delays in bringing books are wearlsome; the society coughs, grunts and clears lls InloaO | in a marvellous variety of strange sounds. | The natives of our Oriental dependencies are | thought to come here because it is the warm est place in London. There are boys reading cribs and girls lunching, and doubtless vast majority of extract copiers will pever de- serve awards from the future fund of the en- dowment of research. If man is hard working and well paid, he will find that 1t IS cheaper to- buy accessible books than to ! waste hours in travelling to the museum and in waiting till what he needs is brought to him But ladies are not much to be blamed Many of them are just as serious readers, and es industrious and quiet grubbers 1n the past, as any man can be. Perhaps some or them have got a little into the habit ot talking; it would be easy to appeal to their good sense and good feeling in this matter. There may be pnare.zy zyhr-,tooInpJs to keep nortion of the seats for danes seuioe uo
 pot pot ''eas seem very successful, Perhaps some
 ether room might be set apart for men men
 whose names and business proved tnas .nTs y
 wara very serious and important students indeed Mele Much might be done to aid such .hree Il reeder as MT. Carlyle was, though per hans no public library would ever Iase l been been aught to him but purgatory; More MoIe-
 over it Would be hard to give men aasan, wan
 taees denied to ladies. The present S s'ase ss | of things is not ideal; ana s cfImo tIs ane1er
 PnP'sSse RnP where is the remedy when the mum nm
 ba, bsrs of e would-be students are increasing l 0,11 iy, ,,atianc6