Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1908-01-02
!. GEM OF A. LIBRARY
ms WONDERFUL SCHEME IN COLOR
TONE AND CLASSICS.

The Delightful Harmony of the Sur.
rOundings WIS Only Excelled by
the Ingenuity of the Twelve Vol.
ume Edition of Ennius.
A st. Louis professor who makes a
speciality of the classic languages and
Is particularly fond of the Latin lit
erature was treated not long since to
surprise he is not likely soon to for
get.
An old friend who for many wear,
resided in distant state not long ago
moved to this city and sent to the pro,
fessor notice OF his arrival. The twain
met downtown by appointment, and
the now arrival invited the professor
to call at his home las soon as we get
things fixed up After decent in
terval 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
ell 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. His chair WAS close to one
OF the cases, and, glancil.y 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. Hsrodotus. Thu
cydides and even Thtnccit,ls, each had
its appointed number.
This is peculiar" said the professor
to himself. for he knew that some OF
these authors wrote little and others
much. Extensive commentaries per
haps." was his redcNion, and, rising. he
stepped to the next case. and on the
top shelf here was Ennils in twelve
volumes, heading long line of most
respectable Roman historians and
poets. whats this?" The professor
gave start, for, although he knew
perfectly we'll that Ennius was the
first in time of the Latin poets, he
knew also that there were only about
Il couple of dozen lines of him left and
that these had been preserved rs quo
tations i'm the works of later writers.
"Ennius in twelve volumes! never
heard of such a thing What in the
world can it be?"
lie glanced involuntarily at the lock-
But there was no key. And while his
marvel greater grew the door opened
and i'll came hi, friend.
Half an hour later after old times
had been discussed and former friends
recalled, the professor, who grew moro
and more curious to find out how any
commentator could expand twenty o,
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 arc known to eN-
ist, have a great curiosity to know
what this can be. Is it commentary,
history or, IL not, what Is it?"
His friend smiled. "Oh, that's a liz.
tile idea Of my wife. You see, she has
81 taste for Latin and Greek stuff like
that, and when we went to buy books
for our library she determined to have
Greek case and Il Latin case, but
when we looked at the Greek and Latin
books she found they were of all sizes.
, some SO little that they looked like ba.
bies alongside the others so she would
not take 'em.
But having her heart set on filling
up the Greek and Latin eases, she kept
worrying about them until finally she
hit OH a great idea. The Indies always.
do, you know, il you give 'em time
enough.
'.Sle took her idea to the binder and
told him the exact length of the
shelves and Their height. The binder
grinned a little to himself as she ex-
planned, but he was not the man to
lose a job, SO he took lot of thick
pine boards, trimmed one side so that
1t bulged regularly like the backs of
books, and she went to a library some
where and got a list of names for him
to put OH the backs, and he came and
tackled in the boards, and so she filed
up her Greek and Latin eases in sets
OF twelve volumes each, twenty four
volumes OH every board. and was pei
fectly satisfied. don't know what
she did with the keys. Ah here she
Is now! Allow me to Introduce my
friend, Professor Blank was just
telling him, my dear, of your little
idea of the Greek and Latin cases"
"Oh, hope, professor, you admire
the sets!" said the lady. "Aren't they
lovelyY'
Perfectly lovely, madam echoed
the professor.
"And don't you think it's a good
ldea?" rejoined the lady. you sec
nobody ever reads those old books
anyhow, but the uniform sets lock
pretty. and the red contrasts well Will,
the carpet
Beautifully" mur,nured the profess.
or, and the subject was dropped, but
he is still Won cr..is how much lower
classical learning will sink after that
twelve volume clifton Of Ennius.-St
Louis Globe Democrat.
Gave Immediate Thanks