Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-03-21
MIeNoN's MUSINGS

MIGNON'S MUSINGS
About Wheeling Society aud Matters and
Things In General
For the Sunday Register.
Musing ia one Of the easiest things in
life, even my friend Goethe had muse,
but don't tell any one l said so, please, for
such puns as that are dangerous in times
like these, and ought to be strictly confined
to the Chestnut Minstrels. Goethe's
muses. gave him "the vail Of poetry from
the hand of truth" 1t could not have been
spring poetry, therefore, nor such songs as
II will be true to thee" Il never loved but
one" and the like which had their origin
from quite different hand" But really
there is very little in Wheeling to muse
about, except houses for rent. Where are
all the people going2 In every direction
one sees residences, palstisl and otherwise,
ornamented with placards of every size
and all the colors Of the rainbow. 1t is q
perfect directory ofall the reSl-estate agents
in town; but the plsesrds get torn and
weather-stained, yet still keep their places,
though every person one meets expects to
move on the first Of April. Now, where
can they be goiDg2 unless it be to look for
the lost pins, and the person who breaks
the china and glass.
Two things, however, still flourish
among us, the epizootic and the public
library. What q preponderance OF pink
tipped noses one meets on the streets; that
is to say, when the victim is able to be out
at all. And, by the way, some one told
me the other day that the word must be
pronounced in FIVE syllables-epi.zo-or ic.
/ afterwards looked into Webster's I'm.
abridged, and found she was right.
The epizootic is q nuisance to the pub
lie; the public are nuisance to the libra
~, or would be to me if | were Librarian.
why did not the Ministries get off that
ioke?) How do the Librarians manage to
keep cane, l wonder2 / should think
they would sink into bowling idiocy every
afternoon at FIVE clock precisely. How
have wished for a photographer (no, girls,
not any especial photogrspher-only an
abstract artist who might embalm for
posterity, as it were, the various forms and
faces! Especially, | remember group Of
bows assembled one evening at the upper
end of the railing before the bookcases,
each boy with arm extended at full length,
the hand holding card and slip of white
paper bearing the number of that particu-
lar volume which his soul fingered after;
80 that, with their eager eyes and parted
lips, they had quite the appearance OF in.
dulging in wild but noiseless hurrahs. Just
now the library is approaching the period
of it's annual spring cleaning, if | may so
express myself and though all expIsna.
tion which the rational mind ought to re-
quire is given in the llacards at the door,
and the terse remark stamped on every
card, the Librarians fad it necessary
to spend considerable breath ex'
planning that all books and cards
must be returned on or before March II.
l heard the explanation given Blk times,
by actual count, to one person the other
day, and the explainers temper endured
to the end.
We-for Miguon beats her breast and
cries inca culps with all the other miser'
able sinners are wont to complain griev'
ously of the red tape" at the Public Lii
bsary. OF couse it is more agreeable 10
Our fallen nature to browse among the
books at will and carry home as many OF
them as take ones fancy, but the shelves
would soon resemble some banquet hall
deserted" if such liberty were toe rule,
though il your case and mine, dear reader,
it might, OF course, be safely allowed And
granting the necessity of red tape" that
which prevails at the Library is Of excel
lent quality. The system Of recording
books taken out or returned, while perfect
Iy simple, is so complete thatit is absolutely
impossible to lose trace of any book. The
librarian can at any moment tell you the
rx act whereabouts OF any given volume,
when it went out and when, upon penalty
of fms, it ought to come in, aud when We
remember that any carelessness in this re-
spect would be an I'M ustice 10 taxpayers,
we should be content to learn the lesson
one much needed in our great and glori.
Gus republic resigniug portion OF our
individual liberty to promote the greatest
good Of the greatest number.