The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-06-22

cases and gave the keys to a relative who
lived In another part OF town When she
found that the key had been carried on
by a friend" she expressed surprise and in
dignaHon at the " outrage" She had come
to consider herself proprietor. in part. Of
the contents of the cases The volumes
she had taken home to read were returned.
It is true, but she had spilled tea upon one
md dog cared ell by turning down . Leaf
when she laid the book By to mark her
place.
At least she kept nons Of my Earrings. I
wish I could say as much Of other vanda1s
who invaded the sacred precincts of nay IL
nrary. More than once I Il have recognized
upon the shelves of a-cquaintances books
borrowed from me. under promise of speedy.
return. months and years back. The
thieves ave really forgotten to whom they
belonged. 80 confirmed is their habit Of
spoliatton- More volumes have disappeared
utterly and left no trace In my Ugh or,
apparently, in the minds OF my ~neighbors
of literary tastes
All this and much more of the Ike TN
position begot in me two score years ago
the settled determination newer to borrow
q book from anybody, not even from my
brother or child. N I cannot AFFORD to buy
II, and cannot obtain 1t from q public IL
brary. I go without the coveted work Bet
ter starve mentally thar steal.
Now and then q friend presses upon me
as a loan a book he or shs has. and ! have
not. I accept the offer gratefully and am
not altogether at ease In my mind until
1t ia returned as clean and whole az when
1t was intrusted to my keeping.
Il -
Liberty for Intimdtes Alone.
To request the loan of a book Is a nb-
erty one should never take except with an
intimate associate. and one who is given to
understand that the like liberty may be
taken with any work you have. Never Dor
row one of a handsomely bound set in any
circumstances. / should as soon think OF
carrying away in my pocket a bit of choice
china that caught my fancy. and d%ecorat-
ing my drawing room with II, or drinking
afternoon tea out Of IT,
AS to the telephone trespassers, may I
tell what L heard a quick tongued sufferer
from this unmanneri7 Intrusion say when
a girl ran In with the ~stereotyped. Please.
may I use your phone for a minute. Mrs
Blank?" The owner Of the instrument
bowed assent silently and when the tres
passer tripped away into the room where
1t stood, remarked dryly:
why didn't she ask me for 8 cents. out
and out?"
Yet not one e US has the moral courage
to spea;. TIC truth in such circumstances.
Our c~o-rc-~0-Cent asks piteously, "lHow
can I refuse?" -f
The oEen-e Is ranki 1t smells to
heaven"
ESt had I said gently but firmly to the rob
Der or my book shelves: am sorry to be
d~isobliging, but 1 never lend one of that set
of books" she would never have forgiven
or forgotten what was in her opinion. rank.
and rude ~selhshness. Were our housewife
to decline to hand out to the woman Of the
winning smile, the egg. or bit Of butter. or
slice of bacon, or any other of the numer-
GUS and nameless etceteras she is all the
while forgetting to order herself. the neigh
borhood would soon be too hot to hold the
" stingy. u~nmannerly. unneighborly crea-
turei"
VIII other victims instruct Us how to ahatO
the nuisance?