Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-03-04
Rare and Antique
Books in Library
[By Grace King Haviland1

| A. part Of what must have been a
| private library dear to the heart of the
collector. has recently been given to
| tho public library. Little is known Of
| the history of the books as a library
whether they Were the purchases of a
| single man or an inheritance of the
orc from whose hands they passed to
ours, but the personality of the one
who originally gathered the treasures
much may be deducted from the books
| themselves.
| That he was fond of travel the var
| ious guide books show; that he was in
| tercsted in politics, law. history and
above all in the classics, the authors
land titles of these silent witnesses bear
testimony. Not only that he was a lover
OF books but of fine editions, the hand
some solid leather bindings prove. In
II hundred years these show the ray.
ages of time both to bindings ana pa
per, Gin many instanc Is fos<ed). but the
beauty OF /; work Well done could not
be wholly destroyed. and what Il con-
trast they form to the cheap, badly
sewed bindings Of today!
II is a pleasure to pick up one of
/ llltSt itNIttilNt tttll -UDGllu volumes To
find ii james Monteomery'4 World
Before The Flood third edition. pub
lishcd in London by i4ongman whose
house exists today. doing an immense
business in both England and Amer
lea. This bears the date 1914 Another,
equally Interesting, proves to be from
the pen of the famous George C,rahbe:
sixth edition of his poems published in
1872. 1t contains "I'he Parish Regis
ter one of his hest known works. We
renomber thai Horace Smith dubbed
Crabbe Pope IN worstcd Stockings
bat no less a critic than Lord Jcffreys
says he has that sweet and seldom-
sounded chord Of lyrical Inspiration
which exalts him to . level with the
most energetic and inventive poets Of
MS age"
Much less Well known is The Salam-
arGrine" greatly admired in its day,
the york Of the popular poet and
journalist, Charles Macliay. for some
years edtorin- chief of the London IL
Illustrated News. and known as the poet
Of happiness. beauty and hope.
Then we find copy OF DR.. Wolcott's
The Beauties o. English Poetry" of
date 1894 ~. Wolcott. hatter known
as Peter Pindar, was an artist with
Brush MS we'll as pen, but did not Illus
trate his little volume. He was fond of
Innovations, defiant of the proprieties
after he was ordained clergyman, |
amusing himself by shooting pigeons
on Sundays, aud in Ibis writings libel
ing kings, lords and commons without I
Sir Walter, Scott characterzes |
him as the most unsparing calum- |
niator of his time" but Robert Burns |
approves him as glorious fellow, |
first favorite Of mine"
Another volume bears the title. Bid |
by Rev Francis Skur.ay. fellow of
idncoln college, Oxford perpetual cur
ate OF Horningshan, whom we find was |
born in 1T74. This volume was pub |
lished in 1903, and is a first edition en-
bellished by fine steel cuts OF the rural
scenery. Inside the cover Is a beau
tiful book plate with the name Jesse
Curling, the name being found in one
or two. other books but nothing could
be learned as to the identity of this
person The very Oldest book in the
ions In Verse for the Entertainment
ard Instruction of Younger Minds"
published in 1856 in Fleet stree; and
with an elaborate steel plate for frcat-
ispece, some of the Younger minds
worShi.l3ing at Shc shrine Of
the Mnse of Poetry.
The 1914 edition OF Dr.. Buchaas
New Domestic Medicine edited by Nes-