Image provided by: Deschutes County Historical Society; Bend, OR
About Cloverdale courier. (Cloverdale, Tillamook County, Or.) 190?-19?? | View Entire Issue (Aug. 31, 1916)
\ THE POWER OF QUIET By F. A. MITCHEL --------------------------------- — -= = 1 t t Did j’ou ever notice t lie difference be tween the quiet of n library and the busy whirl of the outside world? Doubtless you have. In a way it is the difference between a cemetery and that which is without the inclosure. Hut tlie cemetery contains the ashes und the living souls ure 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 a library once came home to me in a very telling effect. I am something of a dreamer, and doubt less any such influence would draw mo more powerfully than another. lint that is merely a m atter to he noted. It is this effect of the atmosphere of a li brary upon myself, an effect that in fluenced my whole after life, that 1 am going to recount A fter u season of hard work 1 was enabled to take a rest Instead of go ing pleasure hunt lug 1 sought a quiet country town win re there were no pos sible means of excitement. The people living there must have been intellectu ally above the average, for they had established a very good library. It seemed to me that this was the very place I needed, so I went Inside. There was not a person there save the libra rian, and, since there was no one to disturb, it 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 m atter how few or how many persons were there. I received permission to nose about among the books and passed the morn- in;' doing so. Frequently during hours when there was no one but the librarian present 1 went to her desk, ostensibly to ask her a question ubout some book, but renlly 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 grow to be to me a thing of beauty. Perhaps It was because she was the only living thing except myself there. Just as man chooses a representative—even If a stone idol to symbolize his god, so did I 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 s> 1 once, of poetry. 1 s|H>nt a month In the place, and nearly every day 1 was In the library. It is to he expected from what I liavo said that 1 was falling lu love with the librarian. Whether or no 1 was, 1 thought 1 was. At any rnte, 1 made love to Iter. There Is a difference he tween mere making love and making an avowal of love, lu other words, I looked love ami a< led love, One day the librarian asked me to come to see her at Iter home. 1 went lu the evening. The house was such ns a woman would lie likely to live lu who was oldiced to give all Iter tin,, for a mere pittance of $500 or $000 a year. The furniture was worn, but not In had taste, The librarian came into the room, and the moment site »poke down fell all tlte Illusion that had been growing tip in mo for n month. She spoke in her natural voice. It was not harsh It wns n fair ordinary woman's voice, but it was not tlte mod. ulated voice of the librarian. 1 must have shown the change In me by my expression, for suddenly the cordiality of her welcome v nnlshed. I spoke in tlte voice 1 had Inn'll used to speaking in the library, tu t since uu hostc.s did not drop to that tone I at once aban- * 1 doned It. It seemed to me that my embodiment of those who had tran- j scribed their thoughts in the books had vanished and tills person who was her wax figure had appeared in her place. I passed an uncomfortable half hour with her, making un effort to be what By BARBARA PHIPPS I had been to her in the library, then left her. I did not go to the library again for “Snllie, you are the most incorrigible several days. When I did go there flirt I ever knew.” stood my embodlmelnt of the shades “I am no such thing.” of authors sot up again on the pedestal “You have no conscience.” on which I had placed her. She spoke “I have as much conscience as you.” to me In her library voice, but did not “I think I can prove that you haven’t greet me with the smile she had often Here comes my classmate, Jim Emer greeted me before. I made a few commonplace remarks, then went to an son. We haven’t met since commence alcove, took down a book and began ment day, when we parted to go to our respective homes. I’ll introduce to read. Ilut I did not keep It up. I wns trou you to him as my wife. You will show bled about my disillusion. I might not your want of conscience by making have been troubled bad not the illu him act dishonorably toward his friend. sion returned. Which was the real You will weave your web about him, condition, the library condition or the and when you have entangled him you other? If I accepted the one what will send him off with a broken heart.” would I do with the other? I could This little dialogue occurred between not accept both. The home condition Charles W aterman and Etlie Meri- would be the one I would have to live weather, an couple at Geneva, by If the librarian became my wife. Switzerland. engaged W aterman was to start Surely one could not dwell in a library. for America in a few minutes. had I left the place and went home. But scarcely time to speak the words He “bro I did not leave the library or the libra heart” when Emerson came up to rian behind me. I pined especially ken him, the two men greeted each for the latter. I returned after awhile other and heartily, to see her. This time I went directly “I am awfully sorry to meet you just to her house. After much bungling I as I am starting for home, Jim ,” said mailo a confession. I admitted that I Charles. “Let me present you to Mrs. had fallen in love with her ns a li W. She is going to remain abroad brarian. lint not as her other self. a few months. Going to stay here She burst into a laugh. awhile?” “I have been engaged to be married “Don’t know. Reckon so.” for a long while." she said. “So you The introduction was made, Charles see it doesn’t make any difference to gave his fiancee a parting kiss, got into you whether you love me as a woman the vehicle bound for the station and or a lihrnri;....” left her on the hotel porch with Emer But it did. Her engagement came to son. W aterman was very proud to nothing, and n year later wo wore m ar have won the pretty coquette from a ried. Fate decreed that I should got host of admirers whom ¿he hud brought a treasure As for me. 1 hail nothing to her feet and bad then sent them off to do with my good fortune I fell in to “get over it.” which she declared love with n librarian and married a they would do hi a few months, if not a few days. Instead of blaming her splendid woman. want of feeling for his rivals it only served to cause him to put a higher value on himself. She had engaged herself to him; therefore he felt per fectly safe. The others she claimed she had never encouraged. Charles be lieved her and really in his heart had no doubt that she wns perfectly lion orable. They had been engaged a good (K. D. Werschkul, Prop.) while and as soon as they were both again on the other side of the Atlantic to lie married. Phone orders filled. Deliveries were W aterman was delayed in London. made North and South. Ilis fiancee wrote him there upbraiding him for introducing her as his wife and accusing her at the same time of being capable of so bare an action as to win las friend for the purpose of throwing him over her shoulder. But said nothing of having disabused Phone, Shop, 10-S-t*. Res. 6 C-‘2 she Mr. Emerson of looking upon her ns Jim ’s wife. W aterman in due time sailed for Otfiee Ground Floor Bell Phone 53-J home. after his arrival lie Todd Motel. P. O. Box 147 saw in a A list month of passengers arriving b.\ a certain steamer the name of his With Kollie Watson frieml Emerson. Charles wondered w hat the upshot of his introduction of Notice Jim to Ids fiancee had been. If noth ing had occurred between Jim and Etlie. Jim had doubtless obtained Charles’ address from her and they would soon meet. Several days elapsed and Jim did not put in an appearance. Charles L. V. KBF.RHARD, Manager. chuckled. The dear girl had been at her old tricks. And yet lit! regretted Complete Sot of \bstraotsof the Record« that he had exposed Ills old friend ol Tillamook Countv, Oregon. to her wiles. “However.” he thought, TILLAMOOK. OREGON “he'll get over it like the rc*t of them After my marriage with Etlie I'll get hint to dinner and we'H «¡1 he corking Notice to Horse Owners. good friends. Etlie will console him E. K. Crops, of llel>o, lias purchasid j with one of her girl friends.” the Percheron horse “ Liberal” and will Etlie wrote n brief letter from Genoa , keep him at his barn on the place. Im- stating that she was nbout to sail for I prove your ptock bv the use of thip New York. The letter came by th< registered Percheron. steam er on which she s illed The first Playing With Edged Tools *- Pacific Meat & Produce Co. Cash Paid for Hides Abstracts on Short by the PACIFIC ABSTRACT CO. ■ — - - - - - - ----------- - - a thing W aterman knew of her arrival was through a telephone message from her. She explained his not having heard from her in time to meet her at the dock. He said he wrould call at once to see her. When he reached her he was about to take her in his nrms when she drew back, saying, “W ait a minute; I have something to say to you.” “You remember,” she proceeded, “that you introduced your classmate. Mr. Emerson, to me, accusing me of being so base ns to make him act dis honorably toward you.” “I remember,” said Charles. “Well, I yielded to the temptation so far as to keep the secret of our only being engaged.” “Of course you did, you little hum bug. and proceeded to captivate him.” “I’m afraid I did act something like that, but I found him too honorable. I brought him down In one way but not in another. He refused to go back on you." "Good for Jim !” “Well, considering that he fell In love with me he found it hard to tear him self away from me. We saw a great deal of each other at Lucerne, and he joined bur party to visit other places. One day I asked him if he would con sider it dishonorable to you to take me away from you if I were only engage«] to you—not married, you know.” “W hat did he say to that?” "He said he wouldn’t take me away from any one, but if I were free to marry anil would marry him be would consider that be had a perfect right to marry me." “Oh. he did, did he?” “Yes. and 1 then told him that Intro ducing me as your wife was only a pleasantry of yours.” “And he proposed to you, I suppose " “No, he did not. He said that if there was any proposing between hirr anil me it must come from me." “1 see, anil that ended it.” “No. I proposed to him. Don't take on, Charlie You'll get over it. 1 hope we shall always be friends." T re Lee's or the Daffodil? There are those today who maintain that the Welsh national emblem is uuc the leek, but the daffodil. Both leek and daffodil are known in the ancient British tongue as "cennin.” and it is held by those who favor the daintier flower that owing to tlte similarity of name the two became confused and that Sh ikosiware’s -influence, coupled with the Englishman’s delight in mak ing fun of Taffy and his leek, served to perpetuate the error Be that as tt may, the majority of Welshmen have agreed to wear the leek as “an In-uur- able badge,” and neither Saxon banter nor the iudeflulteness of tlie historical data will avail to dislodge an ancient ami a national custom.—London Mail. Pulled tho Ru'e Csok on Him. “How did you get along in your golf match?” “Lost i t ” “The other fellow outplayed you, oh?" “No. I hit the ball as bard a* •'** did, but be knew the rules better than l did anil claimed six holes on techni calities."—Detroit Free Press. A Left H anded Compliment. A professor was expostulating with a student for his Idleness when the latter said; “It's of no use. I was cut out for a loafer." “Well." declared the professor, sur veying tlte student critically, “whocvP; cut you out understood his business. — Pittsburgh Chronicle Telegraph.