New-York tribune., 1918-03-17

There is in London district around -
ing Cross Road where almost evas. oaas
has books for sale. There is cos.: saos
rack along the sidewalk, each t;t,a la0as haI,
ing tor your attention. You ra..n va'
class OF street readers Of whom stl ch,,,a' sa'
Lamb wrote-"poor gentry, who mt .,s'e' s
ing the wherewithal to buy or hire haa' aa''
tllch little learning at the open s.sm suVs :
1t was on some such street that tbe,s '.,' -,
practised their innocent larceny u 'vk W
shopkeeper frowned at the diligence ss Ss'
which they read "Clarissa," thew s,.'s, WV
continue her distressing adventure. s..s ".ua
the way. In lingering progress m ,'Sa ~
street, Sir Charles Grandson" m;ch. ' ~
nibbled down-by such as had thu o.. s.. :"
ach-without the expenditure Of ss', s'va
penny. AS for Gibbon and the mors s'ss' s'
bous historians, though whole ns,ns., oa',
would outlast the summer and stretch s' :.
the colder months, yet with patience - t,.S "
could be got through. However h.tss s'
the end was come, even a hasty rs.a.s
whose eye was nimble on the page vou,a
be blowing on his nails and PULLING Ii.
coattails between him and tho Nor,.., 40
wind. 'A''''
pUT the practice of reading at the ono,
~ stalls was not only with the nm,
You will remember that Mr.. Brownie.
was addicted. Really, had not the Artfr,
Dodger stolen his pocket handkerch;..
as he was thus engaged upon his hool
the whole history of Oliver Twist mn,,
have been quite different. And peny,
himself, Samuel Pepys, F. r. s.. Va,
guilty. "To PauPs Church Yard.n l.
writes, "and there looked upon the second
part of Hudibras, which l buy not, b,
borrow to read" Such parsimony is II,
curse of authors. To thumb yolum.
cheaply around a neighborhood il uh.,
keeps them in their garrets. 1t is lea
offence to steal peanuts from stand
Also, it is recorded in the life Of Bean
Nash that the persons of fashion Of hi
time, to pass tedious morning, "did al.
vert themselves with reading in the book.
sellers shops" We may conceive Mr.. Fan.
ciful Fopling in the sleepy blink of those
early hours before the pleasures Of tn.
day have made start, inquiring between
his yawns what latest novels have come
down from London, or whether new part
of Pamela" be offered yet. If the post
is in, he will prop himself against tA.
shelf and-unless he glaze and nod-h.
will read cheaply for an hour.
Or my Lady Betty, having taken Tia
waters in the pumproom and lent her ear
to such gossip as is abroad so early, Is
now handed to her chair and goes round
by Gregory's to read Bit She is founca
to the width Of the passage. Indeed, until
the fashion shall abate, those more sold
authors that are set up in the rear Of til.
shop must remain during her visits in
general neglect. Though she hold herself
against the shelf and tilt her hoops, It
would not be possible to pass. She is ab
sorbed in book of the softer Sort and
she fips it's pages against her lap dogs
nose.
pUT now behold the student coming up
- the street! He is clad in rubbed and
shining black. He is thin of shank as be-
comes scholar. He sags with knowledge
He hungers after wisdom He comes oppo-
site the bookshop. 1t is but coquety
that his eyes seek the window of the TO-
bacconist His heart, you may be sure,
looks through the buttons at his back
At last he turns. He pauses on the curo
Now desire has clutched him. He jlggs
his trousered shillings He treads the gut
ter. He squints upon the rack. He lgns
upon treasure. He plucks it forth. be
is unresolved whether to buy it OF
spend the extra shilling on his dinner
Now all you cooks together, to save your
business, rattle your pans to rouse hlm'
If within these ancient buildings there afs
onions ready peeled-quick.- throw tnsm
in the skillet that the whltf may come W.
meath his nose! Chance trembles anu
casts it's vote-eenie meenie-down gus
the shilling-he has bought the book
Tonight he will spread it beneath 0D
candle. Feet may beat a snare OF pleaS
ure on the pavement, glad cries may pr
across the darkness, a fiddle may scrs".
its invitation-all the rumbling notes
midnight traffic will tap in vain 'ne'
summons upon his window.