. Spectacles for young eyes : Boston. one if she always satthere. I had always seen her when I passed. Do you sit here in the rain ? I asked. She looked at me and smiled. Why, no ! she said ; not often in the rain. How stupidthat was in me! But I had seen her sittingthere with the same things so often, that Ithought she belonged there as much as the treesand the fountain did, and I forgot for a momentthat candy and sugar plums could not bear therain as well as she could. There was a blindman there too, who sold his wares as well as onewlio was not blind, apparently ; for I wanted tobuy somethi
. Spectacles for young eyes : Boston. one if she always satthere. I had always seen her when I passed. Do you sit here in the rain ? I asked. She looked at me and smiled. Why, no ! she said ; not often in the rain. How stupidthat was in me! But I had seen her sittingthere with the same things so often, that Ithought she belonged there as much as the treesand the fountain did, and I forgot for a momentthat candy and sugar plums could not bear therain as well as she could. There was a blindman there too, who sold his wares as well as onewlio was not blind, apparently ; for I wanted tobuy something of him, and the poor man really THE PUBLIC LIBRARY 167 selected pins for me, large and small, as I in-quired for tliem. Could any one be found will-ing to cheat bim ? I am afraid there could. Come, John, said Mr. Hamilton, we shallbe late, and you cant give in your name afterten oclock. So we hurried on, till we came to the LibraryBuilding in Boylston Street. It was very hand-some, and was built of brick, with I should think it would be liable to be de-stroyed by fire, there are so many books to-gether, I said to Mr. Hamilton. 0 no ! It is purposely built with fire-prooffloors, made of brick and iron ; and the wholebuilding is strictly fire-proof, he answered. 138 SPECTACLES. As we went into the first lower room, therewere people, young and old, seated around onbenches, waiting for their names to be called names a^ ere first written on a card, beforethe hour for the delivery of books. Then tlieowner of the card writes the number of the bookhe wants, which he reads from the catalogue,an I sends it in to the desk. After waiting ashort time, several books which have the cardsshut in them are handed out from a room be-hind the desk, and the names read aloud, andthe owner steps forward to answer to his or hername. As I sat there I waited to see them. Bates ! was called out. Now that will be astout man, I thought to myself; but a shy,pretty gui came
Size: 2048px × 1220px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookidspectaclesfo, bookyear1862
