The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1907-01-24
A GEM OF A LIBRARY
ITS WONDERFUL SCHEME IN COLOR
TONE AND CLASSICS.

tStNS eSiNo SSHO0tSSs
The Delightful Harmony Of the Sur.
roundings Was Only Excelled by
the Ingenuity Of the Twelve Vol
ume Editien Of Ennius.
A st. Louis professor who makes a
Ipecialty Of the classic languages and
s particularly fond Of the Latin lit
.rature was treated not long since to
/ surprise he is not likely soon to for
get.
An old friend who for many years
resided in a distant state not long ago
moved to this city and sent to the pro-
lessor notice of his arrival The twain
met downtown by appointment, and
the new arrival invited the professor
to call at his home "as soon as we get
things fixed up." After a decent in
teryal allowed for the fixing up the
professor called, and as the gentleman
Of the house was momentarily engag-
ed the man of much Latin was usher
ed into his friends library. where he
sat delighted with the elegant appear
ance Of the superb carved oak book
cases and the long rows of gilt and
Russia. Els chair was close to one
of the cases, and, glancing round, he
noted with keen satisfaction the names
of Greek authors who had been his
lifelong library companions. He also
noted that each half Of each case to
the middle of the door contained exact
" twelve volumes and that each au-
thor's works constituted set of the
same number. Homer, twelve vol
umes; Sophocles, twelve; so also with
Aeschylus, Euripides. Herodotus, Thu
cydides and even Theocritus. each had
its appointed number.
'"This Is peculiar" said the professor
these authors wrote little and others
much. Extensive commentaries per-
haps," was his refiexion, and. rising. he
stepped to the next case. and on the
volumes, heading long line of most
respectable Roman historians and
poets. whats this?" The professor
gave start, for, although he knew
perfectly well that Ennius was the
first in time Of the Latin poets, he
knew also that there We're only about
q couple Of dozen lines Of him left and
that these had been preserved as quo
tations in the works of later writer's.
"Ennius IN twelve volumes! | never
heard Of such thing. What in the
world can it be?''
He glanced involuntarily at the lock.
But there was no key. And while his
marvel greater grew the door opened
and in came his friend.
Half an hour later, after old times
had been discussed and former friends
recalled, the professor. who grew more
and more curious to find out how any
commentator could expand twenty or
thirty lines Of an old time poet into
twelve large volumes, brought up the
subject
by the way, notice you have an
Ennius here In twelve volumes. Now.
remembering that only twenty or thir-
ty lines of his poems are known to ex-
ist, l have a great curiosity to know
what this can be. Is it a commentary.
history or, II not, what is it?''
His friend smiled. "Oh. that's lit.
tie idea Of my wife. You see. she has
4 taste for Latin and Greek stuff like
that, and when we went to buy books
for our library she determined to have
a Greek case and a Latin case. but
/ when we looked at the Greek and Latin
books she found they were of all sizes
some too big to 60 in the shelves and
some SO little that they looked like ba
bies alongside the others, so she would
not take 'em.
"But having her heart set on fillini
up the Greek and Latin cases, she KEEP
worrying about them until finally sh'
hit on a great idea. The ladies' Away
do, you know. II you give 'em tim
enough.
"She took her idea to the binder ant
told him the exact length Of tn
shelves and their height. The binde
grinned a little to himself as she ex
planned, but he was not the man t
lose a job, so he took a lot Of thiel
pine boards, trimmed one side so tina
| It bulged regularly like the backs 0
books, and she went to library some
where and got list of names for hir
to put on the backs, and he came an
tackled In the boards, and SO she file
up her Greek and Latin cases in set
OF twelve volumes each. twenty-fou
volumes on every board, and was PEI
fectly satisfied. don't know wha
she did with the keys. All, here sll
Is now! Allow me to introduce N
: friend, Professor Blank. l was ju,
telling him, my dear, Of your iittl
idea OF the Greek and Latin cases"
'4Oh, hope, professor, you admin
the setsv' said the lady. AREN'T the
lovely?'
Perfectly lovely. madam echot
the professor.
"And don't you think it's a got
ideay' rejoined the lady. "You 81
nobody ever reads those old boo
anyhow, but the uniform sets lo'
pretty, and the red contrasts well wi
. the carpet"
, Beautifully" murmured the profes
. or, and the subject was dropped, b
!. be is still wondering how much low
. classical learning will sink after th
twelve volume edition of Ennius.-'
! Louis Globe Democrat