The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1888-01-26

After reading IOr dll HOuf, dili tanning
with Librarian Shofford about the large
and elegant New Library Building now
erecting, | loitered for a while looking at
the books, scanning the faces of the men
and women 50 intently engaged in their
books and with their pencils. Like Wash
ington Irving | learned the secret of book
making SO like Irving's description was
the scene | witnessed that | quote from
that most charming of American writer's
Il noticed one lean, bilous-lOoking
wight. who sought none but the most
worm eaten volumes, printed III black let
tiers. He was evidently constructing some
work of profound eruditlOn, that would be
purchased by every man who wished to be
thought learned, placed upon consplcu-
Gus shelf of his library, or ald open upon
his table; but never read. | observed him,
now and then, draw a large fragment of
biscuit out of his pocket and gnaw; whether
it was his dinner, or whether he was en-
deavoring to keep off that exhaustion of
the stomach produced by much pondering
over dry works, | leave to harder students
than myself TO determine
There was one dapper little gentleman
in bright -colored clothes. with a chlrping,
gossiping expression of countenance, who
had all the appearance of an author on
good terms with his bookseller. After
considering him attentiyely, | recognized
in him a diligent getter-up of mlscellane-
Gus works. which hustled off we'll with the
trade | was curious to see how he manu-
featured his wares. He made more STIR
and show Of business than any OF the
others; dipping into various books, flutter-
ing over the leaves of manuscript, taking
:. morsel out of one. a morSel out OF an
other line upon line, precept upon pre-
cept here a little and there a little. The
contents of his book seemed to be az het-
erogeneous as those of the witches caldron
in Macbeth. 1t was here a finger and there
a thumb toe of frog and blind worms
sting, with his own gossip poured IN Ike
ssbaboOn'S blood, TO make the medley
.sslab and good. -
after all, thought |, may not this pill
fering disposition be implanted in authors
for wise purposes: may it not be the way
in which Providence has taken care that
the seeds of knowledge and wisdom snail
be preserved from age to age, IN spite of
the inevitable decay of the works IN which
they were first produced? We see that ma
ture has wisely. though, whimsically. pro
yided for the conveyance Of seeds from
cline to cline, in the maws of certain
birds; 50 that ANIMALS which in themselves,
are little better than carrion, and appa-
rentlv the Iawless pluudereTs Of the orchard
and the cornield, are, in fact, nature 5
carriers to disperse and perpetuate her
blessings In like manner, the beauties
and fine thoughts Of ancient and obsolete
authors are caught up by these flights of
predatory writer's, and cast forth again TO
flourish and bear fruit in a It mote and
distant tract of time. Many OF their
works. also, undergo kind Of metempSy
Ghosts. and spring up under new forms.
What was formerly ponderous history
reviyes in the shape of ronance-an old
legend changes into modern playa a
sober philosophical treatise furnishes the
BODY for a whole series OF bouncing and
sparkling essays. Thus it is in the clear
ing Of our American Woodlands; when we
burn down a forest OF stately pines, a
progeny of dwarf oaks start up IN their
place: and we never see the PROSTATE
trunk Of a tree mouldering into soil, but
it gives birth TO a whole tribe of fungi.
LET US not, then, lament over the de-
| cay and oblivion into which ancient writ
| ers descend; they do but submit to the
great law Of nature, which declares that
all sublunary shapes OF matter shall be
| limited in their duration, but which de
| cIees, also, that their elements shall never
| perish. Generation after generation, both
| in animal and vegetable life, passes away,
| but the vital principle is transmitted to
| posterity, and the species continue to
| flourish Thus, also, do authors beget
authors, and having produced numerous
progeny, in good old age they sleep
with their fathers, that is to say, with the
authors who preceded them and from
whom they had stolen
| l have quoted this long extract because
it was SO deeply impressed upon my mind
| by my surroundings in the Library, and
| also because | want to take it for text
| for a sermon for the members of the North
| Carolina Legislature at the next session.
| When | see this great Library here and the
| many hundred advantages and privileges
| the youth here enjoy, | cannot help max,
ing the contrast with my own State.
make it with sorrow and regret; and l an
resolved that in so far as TIE CHRONICLE is
| influential, the advantages in the way Of
Libraries shall be better in North Carolina
| Our State Library, when it is removed t
| the new building, which the wisdom o
| our legislators has erected, ought to hav,
| enough money to add to the Library al
the volumes needed, and to constantly ado
| the good new books. | am also fOrclbl,
| impressed with the necessity OF publ
library for Raleigh. Last year there wa
some talk in the Watauga Club of startin;
such a library, and the Young Mems Chris
tian Association has a nucleus for a goo'
public library. We must have it if W
| kean mn with the world
If books are made as Irving relates, AM
as ] saw some in the process of making,
is all the more important for North Caro-
lima to have a big Library. We have al
absence of writers, or makers of books
that is humiliatipg. Perhaps it is becaus
no Library from which our ingenious me-
might steal enough ancient learning to adj
to their present stock to enable them t
make a good book is in North Carolina
If that is the only thing we lack, tn
CHRONICLE says: Let us get it,
Our sterility and barrenness in that res
lect is quite too great, and, it is also re
Election upon the productive and orig
mating power of the State. Let us hay
the libraries and the authors will follow
whether they write original books, or stes
from the musty books of past ages
J. D.