Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-14

1Sb AVE you ever examined the skele-
l@E ton in the library of Congress-
tElE Every big library has its skeleton
IL z 1t is kept hidden away. SO that
u ~ people shall not see it. though one
may obtain glimpse. If he is old enough and
knows how to go about il. Usually 1t 10
secreted in a locked chamber by itself
The library skeleton, a STAR reporter learned,
is its collection OF improper books Unhappily
there is a great deal of literature. most excel
lent otherwise. that is the reverse of moral
Much of this is really classical. Not 80 very
many years ago il was decidedly the fashion 10
be coarse and vulgar even in what was then the
polite society of the period. People laughed
so hard at the pointlcss filth written by a beast
named Rabesis that to this day II IL considered
the proper thing to pretend to understand aud
admire him. Sterne and Smollett earned their
regulations much by their indecency as by
the skill with which their pens were welded
The gentlemen in ''Roderick Random" aud
"Peregrine Pickle" are hopeless blackguards,
while scarce any person nowadays can read
''Irlstram Shandy" without being Disguised bv
its laborious effort TO introduce an improprieiy
in every paragraph. Dean Swifts famols
''Gullivers Travels" appears IN the book
shops of today in eXpurSated form. Nearly all
the great writers of those times had the same
habit; the age was infected with il. Besides
what they produced there is much of the ltera.
the domestic circle.
To be sure. Smollett and Sterne would not be
relegsted TO the skeleton closet; they are not
bad enough for that Unluckily. there are
plenty of other books far worse-more par
tlcularly a certain class of them written purely
and simply for the purpose of gratifying a
morbid taste for immortality. Mr.. Spofford
says that the worst book he knows of Was writ
ten by an English clergyman. Every big
library has its collection of such works as a
M har Kent hxr
themselves and are not permitted to go out;
permission to inspect any of them 10 granted
at the discretion of the librarian.
EXHIBITING THE SKELETON.
Mr.. Spofford is fairly liberal in exhibiting
the skeleton at the Capitol That is to saw b
will permit any male person who appears to be
as much as twenty-one years of age TO read any
book from the private collection that he NAV
call for, so long AS the volume is not taken out
Of the library. Women never ask for works Of
the sort. man who should come in aud ask
merely for something immoral would
suredly not be gratifed
Rules on this subject vary in different liz
brariss In Boston they are probably more
strict than anywhere else The skeleton in the
public library there. which Is one of the largest
In the world. is hidden away in a series OF
modest little closets designated as the in
ferno." In these on shelves are ranged in sug-
gestive rows all such volumes AS ought 60
bring blush to the cheek of innocence. The
restrictions with relation to them are very
rigid indeed. For il would seem that there
are lots of people IN the modern Athens who
are always trying to get hold of something i'm
moral IN the literary way. Almost invariably
they give 1t as an excuse for demanding such
books that they going through a course Of
English or French Literature and are compelled
reluctantly to peruse the Objectionable works
as a portion of the task before them. The rule
in this library is that If a reader comes up and
says that he has heard that such and such .
hnn ia xUiaE aA and hail h. IL.
1t his request Is granted usually; but II he tries
the course of literature" dodge he is apt to
be refused. The applicant for an Objectionable
work is, as rule, asked to fill out a slip. giving
his age and occupation, together with his name,
reference for character and reason WHY ne
wants the book This slip must be Endorsed by
the librarian before the petition is complied
with. When a refusal is determined on the
attendant always says that the volume desired
is ''at the bindery," such being the formula in
use for cases of the sort.
THE RETREAT OF cRANKs.
library is always the chosen retreat OF
cranks Such an institution has its regular
patrons. who turn up every day like clockwork
and spend most of their time over the books.
Nearly every one of these has some screw
loose. There is the man who reads the same
volume over and over again for years,
the aggressive female student of mathematics
VINO brings her lunch, and not least important
the almost inevitable epileptic. One OF these
Is numbered among the naOltual freQuenters
of nearly every library. About the same
time every day he has fit on the premises and
has TO be brought 70 again. but the constant GUS
toners are used to IL and don't mind Only
the casual visitors look up from their books
when the unfortunate fops over. All sorts OF
people who have no occupation in life are
found In library. Some, perchance, are out
Of employment and try TO while away the time
and forget their difficulties among the books.
The average Of happiness in a library is low.
Some are rendered independent, by the exer-
tions OF others or by small means Of their own,
OF personal industry. They gravitate nat
urally TO the library to relieve somewhat the
ennui which makes life despair for those who
take no part in the industry OF the world and
are for that reason deprived even Of compan-
lonship. The library fend almost inevitably
grows soured and unsocial
For tramps library IL a most beneficial in
sttution- In Boston, at the public library,
the big reading room down stairs is known ~
the "Tramps Retreat" When cold weather
comes these professional idlers forssks the
benches in the parks and take up their quar-
tiers by the day in the library. They procure
books for appearance sake and 60 10 sleep over
them, but no one objects so long ss they don't
snore. To save trouble they bring food with
them to eat when they are hungry, pie only be-
ing forbidden on account OF its suckiness-
When the attendants are not looking they re-
move their shoes slyly and toast their damp
feet at the radiators.
Chicago's public library il largely used -
tramps' retreat. also. sign In the doorway,
however, says that dudes and Washers are not
wanted" The St Louis public library is the
great trysting place Of the town for lovers,
who meet there in the afternoons and hold
hands in the window seats. which are happily
Just big enough for two. When the love maxi
ing becomes too violent the librarian stands
near them and stAres 81 them until they 20