The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-08-14
MANY MISTAKES
Patrons Of Libraries Ask Re-
markabIe Questions,
md Attendants Sometimes Return
Very Remarkable Answers.

1t was Thomas Gray who wrote those
familiar lines,
"Wherc ignorance Is bliss.
"Iis folly 10 be wise"
and he made q very truthful statement,
for there is probaly nothing more painful
90 ones feelings than to be held to account
! when one has male an error, especially
when the error IL born out OF Ignorance
q or carelessness. 1t is the purpose OF TINS
article To show a little OF the blissiul
< ignorance displayed in those walks oil iiie
which lead through literary neids'
lsVolumes might be written on this subject,
but few examples will suffice.
Much OF this ignorance or carelessness
1s displayed in public Libraries.
An example occurred in the Provi-
ticnce Public Library, where, one day,
/, ,youngster asked for the book, "lie Sat In
the Wood Lox," by j. Il. Trowbridge. He
WANTED The Satin Wood Box" In
library In another city this same book
twas asked for under the title OF Satan on
ffhe Wood Box" aeneFA
The librarian of a certain library was
asked II the sentence "God tempers the
wind to the shorn lamb" wasn't in the
Bible. The person who put the question
was referred TO Bartlett's Familiar
iQuotations, when it was found that
Laurence Hterne was the author OF the
sentence.
Tie following dialogue is said to have
occurred between a college student and
the proprietor of book store:
Student-"Give me one OF the Leather
Stocking Tales"
Proprietor-"Which one?"
Student--sOh, I'll take old Morality"
Possibly It was this same student who
went e. to Ii. .rary and asked for "End-
of-my-own" by Israel, and Dents "lnfer-
1or.n He really wanted Disraelps "Endy-
mion." and Lante's "Inferno."
A young attorney demanded in perfect
rood faith " We ity Fair p" by "Ben -Hur."
He evidently had in mind "a Fair God"
bv the aatI or of "Ben-Hur." This, of
course. must have been an act of careless
mess, not ignorance.
# A MassacI usetts library had a call once
for the liberated London News and the
.(arabbic. Other names given to maga-
sxiues were Scribblers, Senchury, Harpcr's
,Elurstated News and Harper's Wheakley.
4 Children often give amusing and per-
,-oieixing titles TO books. Here are Few
1 i.samples; "Robinson Cruoihed," Wee
Women and Swink or Sim," meaning
~ Robinson Crusoe," "Little Women "
4 and tSink or SWIM"
--eonAHSa to children certain Librarian
once col lected the names of oool-s wrongly
wiven. some Of which are repeated her.
fn one column are the names as given, in
che other the names of the books wanted:
Richard, the Lion Tichard. the Lion
Hunter. Hearted.
iHy Sp-,tia- Hypatia'
>J1ne's Eeirs, Jcne Eyre.
tIlIuminated Faoo, Face Illumined.
KProhibition Probation.
I Boots and Shoes Boots and Saddles.
}Chromos from English Csneoe3 from English
History History.
i1Er Jares Brown Pot Mr. Potter of Texas
I nllence Of Dean STAN Silence of Dean Matt
10y. land.
The attendants at the Libraries mako
sn-istakes sometimes but not 40 often as
Ftko ratrons.
"where can / find Rien-i's cddress,"
"--n the directory, pos5ibly," was tho
.a-swcS
"Hsvo ycu 'Coneth'?" asked lady OF
IN attendant.
n "sCsrns. ~" ho esd in perplcx.ty.
"Yel" sad the lazy, 81 csw Goethe,
lan1 thcug-t there w.p q comperiol
)yclcnz."
rnrtrcr lady papted "Autocrat of the
BScstfast c,,ci,le" TIE atteS CANT thought
IL Gas i the library, and atked II it va q
cook tck.
Tho rtcry is told Of lady who asked
s9~r "E. -glish AS She Is Spoke" Tho Ii
shrar',n in O tSne of mild reproof ackod
,Sse boy to get English Ao It Is Spoke"
'Ttis was not at the Boston Public LII
ltr6-y.
Alanecdote Is related Of Jerry Simpson,
sWEi0N as we'll as anything, illustrates
vhe truth of the quotation at the beginnir &
6f ~, arti-le. The story is that the HoL.
Lr.ci pson referred to Daniel Webster
o-.e day in speech, and spoke in terms
ofw-rr1cst praise Of his dictionary. Some
lpre ar by told Jerry thut Noah WIS the
dictionary mcn. "The deuce you say"
xerf.ed the Pom. Mr.. simpson. "Nosh
built tho Ark"