The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1908-08-29
IN SACRED KEEPING
WIDOW HELD HER HUSBANDS
LITERARY TREASURES.
Not All the Wealth Of New York, She
Declared, Would Tempt Her to
Part with the Books
He Loved.

A New Yorker who returned . few
days ago from the Catskill mountains
tells Of an old woman he met. who
lives In a cottage just outside the lit.
tie town Of Cairo. This woman. a
Mrs. Gary. he discovered. has valu-
able collection Of books which be-
longed to her husband. who at one
time kept secondhand store In
Washington. d. c.. and who died about
20 years ago.
Il stumbled on the little wooden
house and its occupant by chance"
said he, and 1t IL q meeting shall
long remember. followed her up an
uncarpeted stair. through bare room
to where the books were. They lined
. dozen rough shelves and Uttered the
floor. Evidently they had not been
disturbed for years. Piles Of hand
some volumes in worn leather covers
lay smeared In cobwebs and dust.
stopped down to pick up book.
"'Stop!' she cried. grabbing my arm.
You must not touch them! They were
his. and you must not touch them!'
Gradually, however, she relented
was allowed to open some of the vol
umes under protest. Rare books they
were. Three first editions. which lay
half hidden In . pile Of broken plaster
would have brought. ! believe. a total
| Of $500 at book connoisseur's sale In
New York; one copy Of Poe, which
would have liked much to possess. lay
in moldy condition on the sill Of the
little attic window; several rare vol
umes Of Dickens works and An equal
ly rare copy Of Longfellow l found be
hind an immense travelling trunk
squeezed and scratched deplorably
Treasure met my hand and eye every
where.
why l protested, II you tool
these books to New York and placed
them with proper persons you'd make
small fortune
ITO New York; she echoed, raising
her hands in alarm. No, indeed. al
the wealth Of New York would moi
tempt me to part with one of them
They vere his; that's enough for me
Take care OF my books. Jane"-tha'
was about the last words he said tC
me before he died. have respected
his wish, for they are here as he left
them. You are the first to lay finger
on them. and you'll likely be the last
for before follow him I'll make sure
that his books'll fall into no strange
hands. Here, during the latter year,
of his life. on the oak chair under the
skylight, he would sit for hours ant
days on end with no company but hi
books. That night that was his las
he was here for hours. When he came
down to the sitting room he could no
rest, and he said TO me; I'm goini
back to my books, Jane, and may reat
till late. Get to bed II you wish, ant
never mind me-" So | went to bed
and on awakening at the first glimme
OF dawn l saw ! was still alone.
cried Andrew" but no answer came
then ! stole out and went up stairs
All. remember as II 1t were yester
day. He sat here with his head dow
on his chest-dead. This book wa
in his left hand and his right grippe,
tho chair arm like wise. That othe
book on the floor lay as It lies now
open with its face down. There hav,
left 1t lie. No hand shall touch them,
And so we walked silently out of tn
rusty room. and she locked the door,
New York Press.