Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-02-22

NJ biBscl lhul ncI udluly MUM, WI
ume Of scarcely more than 80 pages,
done with the pen on parchment
through years of patient research and
labor, by one Marcel, Crown Advocate
of France, as gift to Louis, Lie Grand;
"rablettes, Chronologiques" was its title,
and it comprised record of succession
of all the popes, emperors and kings
who reigned from the birth of Christ to
100, the year of its presentation to
Louis NV; genuine curio bound after
the fashion of that luxurious time, its
edges richly gilt by the stylus; vol
ume recording the birth and theological
influences, the death, manner Of death,
the length of reign and the historians
of all these mighty potentates; and
altogether containing vaster, more exact
and wonderful information than any
other equal number of pages the world
ever knew; in fact, marvel volume of
profane history, for personal study by
the Grand Monarch, and such perfect
unique in lore and art, and association
as the most cunning book hunter had
never yet possessed.
For generations before Richard
Hardy's time, and to this very moment,
this little yellow enigma, which had
passed from among the treasures of en-
perors to the house-chests of the people
at the sacking of the Tuileries, hed been
given no Drawer place than library
flag end or child's meager amusement
from its strangely-wrought characters
and designs.
But when Richard Hardy resolutely
set out the next day with his little table
and huge package of books, the ",lab-
lettes Chronologiques" curio, encased in
an oil-silk cover, was safe in one of his
pockets; and somehow the little book
gave him an indefnable feeling Of opu-
lence, too, for Dot had solemnly de-
clared it would prove a mascot and
bring back the parlor table, the mantel
clock, the carpet, or the book case, before
the weeks new and daring venture was
done.
1t did even more than this for him. II
gave him o strange consciousness of an
ancestry behind him he never before
had experienced; of the stern stuff that
was, or still should be, coursing from
the Huguenot line through his veins;
and of the mightier fact that no shame
can come to him who stands among the
densest throngs in honorable battle for
home and love.
He found himself actually nodding
Familiarity to the old newswomen, hud-
ding, freezing and mumbling about the
doorways and wind-swept corners of
the great newspaper editices; giving
CHEEKY SITUATIONS to clerks, messen-
gers, porters and carriers who rushed
and tumbled about him; and even
arranging his books on his little table,
which he set alongside the Sun building,
on Frankfort street, while whistling
away as blithely as though all his life
an agile and cunning participant in the
canny shifts and cruel articles of the
street. This strangely buoyant mood
carried him bravely enough through q
bitter winter day, almost to its night,
without a single sale, and, so kindly
Disgusting was the Irish frieze, more
luckily without recognition by any
friend.
Soon the comfortable looking men of
this locality began leaving the great
office buildings for their homes. Then
a chubby-cheeked, jolly-looking editor
OF the Press passed his stand, turned,
glanced along the titles of the books,
handed Dick three crisp bank notes for
an illuminated Homer" and went his
way. A half dozen lawyers or lnsur-
ance men or capitalists followed. An
annotated copy of byron" went to one
of these, and "Hallam's Constitutional
History of England" was taken by
another. The "Lives of the Lord Chan
celiors," went to a famous corporation
lawyer. Mr.. Pulitzer, strolling past
from the World building, caught up and
carried away "Alonzo and Melissa
One of the Tribune editors fancied a
rare old edition Of Rousseau's "Elolsa."
Somebody from the Times wished the
Lancashire Witches" and when GER
tain venerable editor from the almost
historic room above his head descended
to the street, buttoned his great coat
close up around his long, white beard,
caught sight of the little stall, and, with
the bland remark, "Book-seling is an
honorable calling, sirp handed the
young man a twenty-dollar bill for a
bright, clean copy of the rare "Burck.
hardt's Arabian Proverbs" and then
with stately Good night, sir ~ slowly
trundled away, Dick could contain his
understandable excitement alone no
longer.
He clutched his books, snapped to-
gether the little table, sped to the ele-
waited railway station, tidgeted impa-
tiently all the way to his own station,
rushed down its stairs, paid the grocer,
the butcher, the milkman, ordered coal
by the ton with outlandish house sup.
plies on his way, rang up Mrs. Rasper
with furious hilarity, clapped the over
due rent in her hand with bang and u
flourish, with something besides for her.
self and her children; and scrambling
up the stairs frantically, came to his
own door and Dots trembling, out
stretched arms like u whirlwind of JOY
and triumph; owing no man a penny;
with his days lot Of books still half I'M
sold; and roll of bills in his hand
which it took the whirling heads and
misting eyes of these two tried souls a
long and u happy time to count
After the first wild intoxication OF
success, there was little reaction in
Dicks spirits and trade. Books were
often returned, or exchanged. Even
tisticuffs were occasionally necessary to
protect his pocket and stall. The
winter wind swept cruelty around that
particular corner from the open park
spaces, down past the dismal arches OF
the bridge, to the great river beyond;
and chillier and more cutting far were
the stealthy, contemptuous chances OF
old acquaintance among the passing
throng. But he bore it all with positive
bravery. If impudent curiosity pressed
him too closely, he would deftly parry
it with, "Sh-h-h Making practical
literary study. There's a fine set of
Bacon sirw which was all true
enough, poor fellow in this one region
of the great city. where a nnarter mil