OUR LIBRARY.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2549, 9 June 1882, Page 3

OUR LIBRARY.

To tie Editor of the Olohe. Sin, —“*'Eiea,” in the “Australasian,” re* marks : Al the end of last month there was a sale of i valuable library of books In Dunedin. Tie catalogue is before me, and has opened mr eyes to more than one startling novelty hr bibllopoliets. For instance, under ‘Fictioi,’ I find 4 Lectures to Young Men’s Ohrlstan Association, London,’ Boswell’s “Life cf Johnson,’ Masslngberg’s 4 History of tie Reformation,' Hugh Miller’s * Testimony of the Books,’ and Laurie’s 4 Inten s ; Tabes !’ In the class of 4 Religious and Ecoleslaitical ’ is to be found 4 Magic, Witchcraft, and Animal Magnetism,’ and under ‘ Bloraphy ’ 4 The L’fs cf Eoce Homo!’”

If 41 H3glea’ could only visit our Library, he might opm his eyes still wider, for he would find In the 44 Reference department," under “FmeArts,” 44 Mother Goose” alongside John Riskin (presumedly to illustrate how short the step, from the sublime to the ridiculous reflly is); h« would also find under the same beading 41 Smelting of Iron and Steel,” “Puldlingof Iron, ” &0,, &0., which clearly belotga to 41 Arts and Manufactures,” and many noro similar instances of incapacity.

In the "Circulating department,” an excess of the veriest trash imaginable, concealed unde; a handsome exterior, the bind ing in mary instances being considerably more valuafle than the contents, which brings to ny recollection the following lines :

14 Yon may notch it on the palings, as a mightyriaky plan, To make ymr judgment by tho clothes that cover up a man ; For I hardb need to tell yon, how you often come airors, A fifty ddlar saddle on a twenty dollar horse ; And workiig in the low grounds you discover

as you go, That the fiiest shuck may hide the meanest nubbirg in a row,” But I suspect most of tho subscribers have al-eady fomd this out for themselves. In the rading-room he would find a badlyventilated md inconveniently-lighted room; tables covered (?) with worn, torn, and discolored bake, once green ; newspapers kept together vith small spikes, which project and tear lot only the readers’ clothes, but the papen and the baize,- but for files of English, American, or colonial papers he would 100 l In vain !

But I cannot put any limit to the extent his eyes would open when he learnt that it is from nun who consider themeelvas compatent to hold the position of Governors of the Canterbury College, Including the chairman cf ihe Board of Education, that the oommittej of management is selected. Bnt in this irstanca I should beg “rEglea" to consider that—

44 Yon should never judge of people that you meet along the way, By the places where they come from, or the houses where they stay ; For the bantam chicken's awful fond of

roosting pretty high, And the turkey buzzard soars above the eagle In the sky; They catch the little minnows In the middle of the sea, And yon find the smallest ’possum up the biggest kind of tree.” Therefore, I again ask, 44 QUIS CHBTODIET CPSTQDHB P”