The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-29
Thp Tt1rarian'H OnrnPr
CONDUCTED BY
FRANK PARKER STOCKBRIDGE.
AT A HALFWAY HOUSE.

AT A HALFWAY HOUSE.
6S|TO-NIGHT is a good night for reading
writes Esther Johnston from LIE Mans.
1.-THE light cold rain outside increases the feeling
of comfort and security reused by the burning logs.
The room has blue haze Of smoke from pipe and
cigarette, and there is the glow from the fire and
the sheen of holly In the bowl on the mantel. The
place quiet for the braggart who tried to interest
every one in his exploits has been seneed by hint,
not subtly given by a reader, that for the present
at least the majority prefer to read-later, per
haps, to talk
LIE Mans is halfway house for the men of the
A. E. F. homeward bound. The regional library
of the American Library Association is the scene
from which Miss Johnston writes Before she went
over on Library War Service she was in charge of
the Seward Park branch of the New York Public
Library. Her letter is cross section of the A. E.
F. and a picture of what books mean to the soldier
overseas. Co..
Private Boils Over
1.-THE boy to the left of my desk is indignant His
rage shoulders for while, he wrigges mpatiently
in his chair, and then bursts out in undertone
to Look at this Saturday Evening Post
right through the advertisements and stories Who
carries off the girl in the last chapter every timef
The fella with the shiny puttees! Why don't the
illustrators remember there's few buck privates
in the army? l look in all the magazines and
papers, and the doughboy doesn't get chance!
He's been through Chateau Thierry and the
Argonne and the hospital, and he hates, he says
never to win out in the last chapter
There's contractor next to him, burly man,
rather old for the draft army and he had been, of
late low in his mind until he asked to give the
course on building to the men in the camp school.
lations from treatise on masonry construction,
which, thank Heaven came just in time with the
last shipment of books His heavy face was almost
animated when he explained: Even the fellows
that don't think of going into the construction
business are fixing to get married and want to
know something about houses. So they to
the school
There's boy who comes in every night to
read Western stories. He is one who has no home
in the States to return to- has never known a home
and this is the best substitute. He has supported
himself for twelve years Che is only twenty now
and looks with undisguised contempt upon
who growl about hardships over here
College Men and Cook. .a., -.
1.-TWO college men are catching up with their
work in law and journalism and are trying to for
get about those newly commissions that were
taken from them two days after the armistice was
signed. There are two others who come eighteen
kilOmeters on Saturday to read Burdick' s Real
Property, which will give them the material they
will need for their teaching next week. For their
first visit we hadn't one law book for them, but
when several were secured they were pathetcaly
grateful, and spend their town leave reading them
There is present tonight the company cook, who
grins sheepishly at all the jests made about his
mess. He showed his gratitude for an antique
copy of the All Story Weekly by sending to the
library enormous dish of his piece de resistance
for the evening He had not been reader before
he came to France, but believe he'll have way
of dropping into library when he returns to the
States
Man to Be Cheered.
"A man has just come in for light fiction to take
his mind from gloomy things. He is musician,
and the chief duty of his band now is to play for
five six funerals every morning. give him the
most dyert;ng novel can find for his is a mourn