Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-27

fees from an honest love of the subject.
The curious patents issued in America and
Europe he has on his fingers ends. When
he makes a new find neighboring read
ers may observe that his ordinarily satur
nine face becomes wreathed in smiles.
Especially amusing original inventions
he greets by loud cackle of merrment
accompanied by the cracking of his finger
joints and vigorous slapping of the knees.
To the nervous reader who does not know
these peculiarities the little old patent
lawyers cachinantory hysteria was apt
to be startling in the extreme, so tina
finally the library authorities were moved
to offer him a separate alcove. wherein b.
now reads, and from which, at unexpected
intervals, come forth bursts of shrill senfh-
hilarity.
The Man Who Sleeps.
Almost every day some casual visitor
falls asleep in the library. and has to be
awakened by the attendants But one per-
son is in measure, privileged as regards
somnolence. This person is a sufficiently
well-known literary man, and to slum5er
is his infirmity, not his fault. He studies
In the Astor regularly, but every day, at
the approach of noon, he cannot keep him.
self from falling into doze. Years ago,
when this habit first became noticeable,
efforts were made to wake him up. But no
sooner was he aroused than he promptly
resumed his siesta. Day after day the
same trouble occurred. The man was a
bona fide student and a brilliant writer
but he would fall asleep for an hour or
more every day Indeed, he admitted that
he could not help doing so, the habit having
been acquired in Spain and the East Indies
where the siesta Is sine qua non Finally
a compromise was arrived at The libr nv
Ioik permitted the somnolently inclined au-
thor 10 steep in peace. provided that he
sought out some secluded corner of the
reading room where his occasional shores
could not annoy his neighbors
A Small Boy Antiquarian.
A puzzle to the librarians (who never
by the way. invite condolences on the part
OF the readers) is the small boy anti
quarian. This precocious youth cannot
possibly be more than thirteen or fourteen
years Of age. He wears knickerbockers
and rolling collar: his eyes are mildly
blue; his hair is neatly divided and of a
golden hue. Altogether. he looks the con-
ventional small boy of careful up-bringing
But when he comes to the Astor library
as he does several days in the week.-Mrs.
steps gravitate toward the shelves devoted
10 genealoGy, heraldry and archaeological
lore. Climbing the ladder in business-like
way, he draws forth some heavy tome
(heavy in every sense of the world and,
frequently with the assistance of an at
tendGnt drags 1t to table. Then out
comes his pencil and paper. For hours he
examines and copies. traces coats of arms
and goes through it all with the gravity
ard interest of a practical antiquarian. He
! is something of an authority on pedigrees
too. this small boy and when ladies' come
in asking about the Smith, Jones or Robin
son family trees he can tell them to a
nicely where they may be found.
But, dear me-! remarks the mild man.
nered superintendent of the ANTIQUARIAN
department. IF he knows SO much about
genealogies at thirteen. he ought to be a
Bernard Burke or a Foster before he is
twenty"
Above Readers.
Mention has been made of the alcoye
readers. This is a privileged class, in
which the freedom of the library is prac-
tically presented. For the most part they
are grave and reverend seigniors' of lit
erature, science and art whose researches
cannot be hampered by the filing out OF
slips and the waiting for books, and who
are allowed to help themselves at the
shelves. and to do their work within the
library inclosures.2 But in many instances
the alcove readers have been granted their
exceptional privileges because of some benz
eft conferred upon the library in the past.
An interesting case is that of a gentleman
who made lucky discovery of books sew
eral years ago. This individual happened
to be in Venice and alphabetically
''orifted,' for he used a gondola-to the
door of secondhand book shop. In the
old shop he found by chance number OF
cobwetbed books. part Of the library of a
former British consul. The dealer sold
him the entire lot for e sterling. They
we're loaded into his gondola and conveyed
to the hotel at which he was staying On
examination they were found to be all au-
tograph volumes, containing the signatures
OF Samuel johnson and a number of other
famous writers. The traveller brought
them to America and presented the entire
admitting him to the alcOveS was there
upon granted honoris causa."