The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-05-18

nial schloss perched high on wind-swept
knoll. A most hospitable type Of most
hospitable nation was my new no
quaintance. After most courteous greeting
and mutual exchange of "prosits'' over
our Hockheimer, he led me upstairs to his
library. Three lofty, cheerful rooms,
shelved from floor to ceiling on every side,
and soon / fell with outstretched hand
upon his Elzevirs My enthusiasm de-
lighted the old man, So far as society was
he lived the life of 9 recluss,
and his eyes kindled as he recalled for me
the days of his stirring student youth in
Heidelberg. He hoped, he said. he might
find some one to whom to leave his precious
Elzevirs. some one who would appreciate
them-some one, he was good enough to
say, and bowed low, like me. Perhaps.
my heart, you will not wonder
that was most courteous and deferential to
my kind old host. and spent, not that after
noon only, but many others in listening to
rone Nc ssad t. me- IN
and Thunder Of the Odyssey" The kind
old heart, fear, ia failing now: the great
work is yet unfinished, and ali too soon I
may be the possessor of other Elzevirs. he
kind blue eyes that once flashed with the
light of battle fever and shone in the very
forefront of charging squadrons must soon
be closed, and the shaking hand, that once
did doughty deeds for Kaiser and father
land, soon be at rest for ever. All peace be
his!
Such Kohinoors IN books no man should
be expected or asked to lend; but, when I
do lend, save me from the man who pre-
sumes to lend in turn to'some one else. Il
is not rare case; it is comparatively COM
mon with many free and easy folks. Genial
Ella was victimized in this way, and the
offender was Coleridge,. who ought to have
will you make your visits. which should
give pleasure, matter OF regret to your
friends? You never come but you take
away some folio that is part of my exist
ence. had no right to lend you the book
you have just taken. ! may lend you my
own books. because it is at my own hazard,
but it is not honest to hazard friends
property; always make that distinction"
Sir Walter Scott must have been similarly
plusldered, for on one occasion he said in
his dryly humorous way that, though most
of his friends were bad arithmeticians, they
despoiled Werther has poured forth his sor-
rows in verse:
!, OF my Spenser quite bereft,
Last winter sore was shaken;
OF Lamb I've but quarter left,
Nor could save my Bacon.
They picked my Locke, to me far more
Than Bramah's patent worth;
And now my losses deplore
Even Glover's works cannot put
My frozen hands upon,
Though ever since lost my Foote,
My Bunyan has been gone.
My lie is wasting fast away
/ suffer from these shocks;
And though I've fixed u lock on Gray,
There's gray upon my locks.
They still have made me slight returns
And thus my grief divide:
Fer oh! they've cured me of my Burns
Aud eased my Akcnside.
But all think shall not say,
Nor let my anger burn;
For as they have not found me Gay
They have not left me Sterne
One more anecdote and am done. Ia
an advertisement of a work on surnames
the publisher added this line Of recon-.
mendation: IAN amusing volume. which
comes home to everybody" That publish.
er's fortune is made; his is the creates,
monopoly Of this age Of trusts. Let him
but instil the homing instinct into every
book he puts forth; his rivals. like Othello
; will find their occupation gone, and never
again shall we have cause to complain OF
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