The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-11

and women to be found in the public
library of a large city. Half an hours
perusal of the faces before you will often
afford more entertainment and instruction
than could be derived from the volume
which, perchance, you hold in your hand.
Here congregate not only the students, the
''bookworms," the leisure class and the
dilettantes, but unfortunates who are out
of work and have no other place to 60
men, as rule, who are not totally bad.
They still have longing for the better
things of life and here in the quiet re-
treats of a library they seek to forget
their troubles in books. These men--there
are few If any women in the classifica-
creative energy necessary to success. Of
tentimes, however they are the victims
of real misfortune over which they have
no control. Some are old some of them
are middle-aged and not a few are young
men. Their faces show intelligence, but
the meanness of their clothes and fire.
quent evidences of being up against it,
assert strangely with the scholarly works
which some of them read with enjoyment.
Here Is an array of humanity well worth
observing Most of these unfortunates
have ceased to dream and hopelessness is
often stamped upon their faces. They
are not all literary, but the library Is a
harbor of refuge where there are COM
Portable chairs and freedom from police
molestation; where in winter there is
warmth and in summer escape from the
binding sun.
Day after day such men can be seen
In their favorite corners Willing the
golden moments away, content to drift
along as the world pleases. Such men
who have become fixed in the rut of in
ertia and self-effacement seldom bestr
themselves They have no enterprise, no
energy, no pride and no ambition. The more
fortunates ones are supported by hard
working wives or perchance children or
relatives while others live a precarious
existence from hand to mouth. They are
quiet, orderly and as neat as their means
will allow, but failure is branded on
them in glaring letters. What a contrast
they afford to the successful man of af-
fairs who comes bustling in, deslrious
that his own library does not contain,
Yet the fixtures in public library are
not always among the ranks of oilers and
failures. Some of them have had stirring
careers and now in the evening of life
they are living in comfort on a little COM
petence. These men will often be found
in the departments devoted to theological,
philosophical and scientific subjects. They
are nearly always widely informed and
entertaining takers. There are many for
eigners, the story of whose lives equals
any of the romances which load the
book shelves all about. These are
the characters in public library whom
1t would pay you to engage in conversa-
ton. The others-the failures and the I'M
fortunates-are pathetic but they can be
studied specifically. A glance into their
weak faces tells their life history more
eloquently than they themselves could
turn the trick. The books in a great
public library are most interesting to
be sure. but what a queer assortment of
humanity can be found In these store
houses of knowledgel What a diversity
of character is presented. And what a
temptation to philosophize in a silence
that is broken only. by the rustic of
periodicals or the swish of turning leaves !
| Over In Georgia in the town of Smith
vile is reputed to be the Chicken Pie
hotel where, through the stipulation of
former owner. chicken pie is served
every day. What an Elysian prospect for
the travelling public! After all, there is
something in name-this name-and If
the Chicken Pie hotel doesn't do a stu
pendous business 1t Is because of an in
applicable lack of appreciation on the part
of the travelling public.
"Regulus to the Carthageniansi" What