The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1899-09-23

public library. Since that tims our
library has grown slowly, lsboriously
eking out limited income by humble
appeals to the dispensers Of taxes. Wo-
men librarians had worked their lives
out on that old pile OF books. and had
gained az thei, only reward the affec.
ton OF vii patrons who had any concep.
ton Of what their labor meant. And
we'll known citizens had served without
pay for years on the board OF directors,
giving time. energy aud devotion to tho
service OF the city. The books have
been housed In almost any place, for no
;itizen OF Lincoln has ever actually had
money enough-our wealthiest citizens
have oftsn bsen very poor when It came
to real money-to build library home
for Lincoln. We plodded along az best
W. could, and appreciated what the
conscript fathers afforded us. And 90
when the time came the funeral pyre
was heaped high not only with paper
and paste and ink but with we'll spent
energy and devotion. And all ths pre-
vious old books are the least part OF
what is gone. We should think OF that.
In those days, too, the Methodist
church was low, whits frame building
with "irostsi' windows. The brethren
and sisters worshipsd with the spirit
and understanding. I can remember
Sister Peckham. and Sister Hyde, and
Brother Hardy. But the younger gen.
Grafton always seemed too we'll dressed
and consequently "uppish' for me or
80 my childish notien wac, I suppose
there was an organ, run by foot-powsr,
with possibly Coupler" aud "tren.
olo" stop in working order. no beauti.
ful affair OF long pipes and hidden boxes
OF wood, and great strong voic TO praise
God with. Long pews, in old fashion.
90 that the congregation might kneel
with the minister AMI no cushions for
their kasss. And the Easter bonnet
was not fixed institution in those days.
Perhaps that helped build st. Paul.
But anyway VIII, ls live, and oouls full
OF devotion went up in the flames last
Saturday m ,rniug.
l have but one suggestion to make,
being thus afar. II I had been 10 Lin.
coin could have told a dozen ways for
checking that fire thu morning after.
wards My thought is this-why. oh
why, coas,ript fathers, do you lay down
fine new, unpaii-for paving over long,
narrow ditchss that contain six-inch
watsr mains?
Every accident, holocaust, or unsuc.
cessful thing 10 this world IL caused by
some one who has fsilod to do his duty
just truly. There is always some nell.
gence. som, carelessness, soms iguor.
snce or weakness whore strength is re-
quirsd back Of tbs things that 60 wrong.
l wondered as I looked at the old burnt
and scattered boiler at the terrible
wreck usar Paul, ten miles south Of
here, who It was. how far back he was
who was responsible for the weakened
bridge, the loss OF four lives 10 a creuat.
ing fire 90 that few bones and tho
watchers we're about all that was left to
toll the tale, the twenty-six hundred
burned cars and twisted trucks and
iron. Someone. somewhere, failed to
carry his letter to Garcia. 1t may have
been the president or managers Of the
road, 1t may have been member Of the
bridge gang. The attempt to fix the
responsibility is an amusement for logi.
clans. 1t doesn't matter 60 much.
What is needed 10 absolute faithfulness