The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-20
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vkfSx&DI the Llttle CoIOnel. StoIleS IL
in?"
Please IN, would 1 find B7SS2 up here
r down stars?"
Say, I didn't like that there last book
cause they wasn't any fightin' in it. Have
youse got another wild a lot o. scrappin?"
The children's room at the public library
is a lively place, with its horde of wide
awake children in search of good stories,
and. to visitor. the questions flung at the
young women who have charge of the
room seem confusing both in quantity and
quality. The matter of the inquiries. how
ever. is not at all difficult to minds trained
to know the exact whereabouts of B73S3,
"Clnderellas," and Little Colonels." and
to discriminate TO a hairs breadth between
the values of the various chronicles of
fights.
Ii is impossible to answer a dozen queries
at once, but no matter how thick and fast
the questions come the questions are never
lost sight of. Just wait a few minutes and
IL l forget about you, you come back and
ask me again" the small Interrogation
point is told, with a smile that makes him
feel that in returning later with his ques-
ton he is bestowing a real and highly APP
preciated favor.
The childrens room of the library is at
once the reading room and the delivery
room. and all Juvenile books and magazines
kept there either TO be read in the
room or 10 be taken home. The children
are also free to call for books from the
grown-up department down stairs, and they
have access to the magazines of the larger
reading room, with the exception of the
comic weeklies; eff they could have those
they would have nothing else" is the ex-
PLANTATION. On week days the room is a
comparatively quiet ana deserted place un-
til after school hours. when the tide of
juvenile humanity sets toward the library,
and makes things busy. Saturday is the
busy day Of the week. of course for many
children, freed from school, turn to the Ii
brary and the reading room for amuse-
ment rather than to play.
The stairway leading up to the room and
the corridor before the door are likely or
Saturday morning to be dotted with small
boys and girls of all types and classes
from the smallest aristocrat, who has
tripped upstairs from the carriage Just 10
exchange her book. to the small dark
skinned sister VINO has sneaked off from
the washing of the breakfast dishes to
magazines in which her soul delights. The
frequenters of the room are of all sizes
and conditions and those who like to study
human nature, especially in it's first stages.
at first hand, will find fruitful field i'm the
room that echoes all week long to the
dumping, hurrying, self-assertive feet of
the boys who know what they want and
how TO get il; the shy tiptoeing feet of the
little maids, who don't know in the least
what they want or whether indeed. they
really want il; and TO the still more BASH
full and reluctant feet of the children who
aren't quite sure that the public library
wants them TO want anything. There are a
considerable number of these last children
and they have to be treated with the ut
most gentleness-to be coaxed into an as
surance of welcome, or else they take
fright and vanish, never to return. The
children come from all kinds of homes and
they have all kinds of tastes and inclina-
tions and the attendants In charge of the
room study the personality of each one OF
the small visitors as closely as possible
TO try TO train the little harum-scarun
minds to appreciate what is really good in
the world Of books for little people. AND
to make the library influence count sub.
stantially for good in the lives of the
children.
I'm going TO draw books again." an.
nounced one boy, pertly. one day last week
BET you amt seen me up here for a Ions
time. have you now? Well, I'm a-comin
all the time now
His remarks were greeted with a ouiet
smile. but no comment. He is one of the
irrepressibles whom a little notice make:
uncomfortable. The very shy maid who wan
dered in about the same time was his ex.
act opposite. She had her first card anC
was about to draw her first book She wa:
too bashful to ask for information at tn,
desk. and, as the young women there wer,
too busy TO go TO her. she wandered around
between the cases with a music roll anc
trailing shopping bag i'm one hand anC
siIver-handled umbrella in the other. FL
naIly her uncertain miserabeness moved
the heart of a big boy of twelve who ha.
a blood-thirsty taste in literature. and h
undertook her instruction In books and IL
hrary observances until at last the small
reaid wavered up TO the desk with big vol
ume, which she presented with her spotles.
card. her silver-handled umbrella pressed
deprecatingly against her mouth.
The attendant surveyed the little eight
year-oId Bit of femininity with astonsh
ment. But. my dear. you don't want L
read this she exclaimed. why. it's
book for boys-and for big boys at that"
SHE WOULD HAVE IT.
She of the music roll and shopping has
was unmoved. though still shy. lie sal,
IL was a bully book she said. with un
yielding faith i'm her tone
haunt Of the small ones. In vacation tim,
many a tot who finds things dull enough n
home with four narrow walls when make
believe has failed. spends happy hours il
the story-lands which he may find ut What
he usually calls the liberty" But ii is IL