Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-06
BOOK TITLES
READERS WHO DO NOT KNOW
WORKS OR AUTHORS.
Puzzles Librarians Must Solve-Re-
quest for clos Angeles
by Roasting"

From the New York Tribune.
A dminutive specimen of the genus small
boy walked into a circulating library the
other day, and pushing his card over the
desk asked for "a book from Adam till
now" No history that could be named
seemed to be quite what he wanted, and
remarking regretfully that his mother was
sure they'd have it at a big library like
that" he at last departed.
The average attendant in the free circu-
lating libraries of the city gradually ac
quires a power of divination amounting at
times to positive genius. Circumstances in
fact. render such equipment necessary. For
instance, an inquiry for "rectory book
the astute official at once translates and
supplies with some standard rhetoric; RED
Potash and For Better for Worse" are
confidently selected from among the works
of Mary Chalmondeley and Mary Johnston.
THE Young Man from Illinois is easily in
telligible when one recalls that state as
next door to Indiana, and even the Inter
nal City, can be supplied without difficulty.
But when one is asked for 1.-The book that
is almost sequel to the Crisis" or for
LOS Angeles one has to take moment
to consider. Supplementary information re-
garding the latter was to the effect that "a
man named something like Roasting wrote
IT. and resulted in 'L'Aiglon" and salts
faction. funny little old person Of the
in one of the smaller centers and, producing
battered yellow card. asked for "a book"
adding that she was "a great reader, from
a child up.
A Book to Fit
What sort of book would you like?"
asked the attendant.
"Oh, 1t doesn't much matter" came the
answer, Just anything thatll fit in my
bag here" The Flowers of Knighthood"
and When Chivalry Was in Bloom" are
easy enough, but when one is importuned
for that book about food the Bible is
perhaps the last volume suggested, and yet
in this particular instance 1t proved the
very book desired.
us this fiction or a story?' is a frequent
| question.
please tell me where the eentIemen,s
| books are kept" was the request in
| branch where members allowed to
| browse about the shelves
81 don't want any book that begins with
L. asserted a midget who prefers stories
| in the third person.
! A little colored girl presented a card and
| said she had been sent for book Of af-
| fiction" and another proxy inquired for tho
/ author of Oakley (Oakleigh). little
| girl who wanted to use the dictionary re-
| turned from the table where 1t was placed
| for her to ask If there wasn't some other
| book that would 'splain the meanings the
| dictionary gave"
Crusoe His Preference.
A boy who asked solemnly for a certain
| history of the United States fairly beamed
when told 1t was In use. '"Then give me
| Robinson Crusoe,'' he returned, joyfully.
| MY mamma wants ''Lizabeth's German
| Garden, " announced a small person whose
| eyes were scarcely on level with the desk.
cause we're going to plant some buds
this year, but she isn't sure you've got II,
| because nobody really wrote 1t. you know"
| A little boy asked If he might be expelled
! from the library, as his father was going to
| other branch.
| librarian who went to the study Of q