The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-07-27
THE POWER
OF QUIET
By F. A Mitchell


tween the quiet of a library and the
busy whirl of the outside world?
Doubtless you have. In way it is the
difference between a cemetery and that
which is without the Enclosure. But
the cemetery contains the ashes and
the living souls are elsewhere, while
the library contains the living souls.
the ashes being elsewhere.
Yet who has not realized the effect of
situations? The influence of the at.
mosphere OF library once came home
to me In very telling effect. l am
something Of a dreamer, and doubt
Less any such influence would draw me
more powerfully than another. But
that is merely a matter to be noted. 1t
is this effect Of the atmosphere Of L.
brary upon myself, an effect that In
fuenced my whole after life. that am
going to recount.
After a season of hard work l was
enabled to take rest. Instead of go
ing pleasure hunting l sought a quiet
country town where there were no pos
sible means of excitement. The people
living there must have been intellectu-
ally above the average, for they had
established very good library. II
seemed to me that this was the very
place needed, so went inside. There
was not a person there save the libra
rian, and, since there was no one to
disturb, 1t was not necessary for me to
tread softly In going to her desk and
speaking to her in a low voice. She
doubtless had become accustomed to a
uniform tone no matter how few or
how many persons were there.
/ received permission to nose about
among the books and passed the morn
ing doing So
Frequently during hours when there
was no one but the librarian present
l went to her desk, ostensibly to ask
her question about some book, but
really to chat with her. There was
that in her voice, being in keeping
with the place, that added to its other
influences. Under this spell she grew
to be to me thing of beauty. Perhaps
1t was because she was the only living
thing except myself there. Just as
man chooses a representative-even IL
stone idol-to symbolic his god, so
did l choose the librarian to embody
the myriad of thoughts inclosed In the
silent books. She became to me the
goddess of wisdom, of romance. of sci
ence, of poetry.
| spent month in the place, and
nearly every day | was in the library.
1t Is to be expected from what l have
said that | was falling in love with
'the librarian Whether or no / was,
II sIght | was. AT any rate, | made
love to her There is difference be-
tween mere making love and making
an avoNal of love. In other words, |
looked lOt, and acted love.
One day the librarian asked me to
cons TO see her at her home. l went
in the evening. The house was such
as woman would be likely to live in
who was obliged to give all her time
for mere pittance of $500 or 5000
year. The furniture was worn, but not
in bad taste. The librarian came into
the room, and the moment she spoke
down fell all the illusion that had been
growing up In me for a month.
She spoke in her natural voice. 1t
was not harsh. 1t was fair ordinary
woman's voice, but it was not the mod.
ulated voice of the librarian. l must
have shown the change in me by my
expression, for suddenly the cordiality
of her welcome vanished. / spoke in
the voice l had been used to speaking
in the library, but since my hostess did
not drop to that tone at once aban-
doned it. 1t seemed to me that my
embodiment of those who had tran
scribed their thoughts in the books had
vanished and this person who was her
wax figure had appeared In her place.
passed an uncomfortable half hour
with her, making an effort to be what
1 had been to her In the library. then
left her.
did not go to the library again for
several days. When l did go there
stood my embodiment of the shades
of authors set up again on the pedestal
on which had placed her. She spoke
to me in her library voice. but did not
greet me with the smile she had often
greeted me before. | made a few
commonplace remarks, then went to an
alcove, took down a book and began
to read.
But did not keep it up. / was trou-
bled about my disillusion. l might not
have been troubled had not the flu
sion returned. Which was the real
condition, the library condition or the
other? If accepted the one what
would l do with the other7 could
not accept both. The home condition
would be the one would have to live
by II the librarian became my wife.
Surely one could not dwell in a library.
left the place and went home. But
did not leave the library or the libra
rian behind me. l pinned especially
for the latter. l returned after awhile
to see her. This time went directly
to her house. After much bungling I
made confession. l admitted that I
had fallen in love with her as q L.
brarian, but not as her other self.