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Elisha Cuthbert Photos Books: Martin Eden The Pickwick Papers The Sea Wolf |
of libraries, and he wandered through
endless rows of fiction, till the delicate-featured French-looking girl
who seemed in charge, told him that the reference department was
upstairs. He did not know enough to ask the man at the desk, and began
his adventures in the philosophy alcove. He had heard of book
philosophy, but had not imagined there had been so much written about it.
The high, bulging shelves of heavy tomes humbled him and at the same time
stimulated him. Here was work for the vigor of his brain. He found
books on trigonometry in the mathematics section, and ran the pages, and
stared at the meaningless formulas and figures. He could read English,
but he saw there an alien speech. Norman and Arthur knew that speech. He
had heard them talking it. And they were her brothers. He left the
alcove in despair. From every side the books seemed to press upon him
and crush him.
He had never dreamed that the fund of human knowledge bulked so big. He
was frightened. How could his brain ever master it all? Later, he
remembered that there were other men, many men, who had mastered it; and
he breathed a great oath, passionately, under his breath, swearing that
his brain could do what theirs had done.
And so he wandered on, alternating between depression and elation as he
stared at the shelves packed with wisdom. In one miscellaneous section
he came upon a "Norries Epitome." He turned the pages reverently. In a
way, it spoke a kindred speech. Both he and it were of the sea. Then he
found a "Bowditch" and books by Lecky and Marshall. There it was; he
would teach himself navigation. He would quit drinking, work up, and
become a captain. Ruth seemed very near to him in that moment. As a
captain, he could marry her (if she would have him). And if she
wouldnt, well--he would live a good life among men, because of Her, and
he would quit drinking anyway. Then he remembered the underwriters and
the owners, the two masters a captain must serve, either of which could
and would break him and whose interests were diametrically opposed. He
cast his eyes about the room and closed the lids down on a vision of ten
thousand books. No; no more of the sea for him. There was power in all
that wealth of books, and if he would do great things, he must do them on
the land. Besides, captains were not allowed to take their wives to sea
with them.
Noon came, and afternoon. He forgot to eat, and sought on for the books
on etiquette; for, in addition to career, his mind was vexed by a simple
and very concrete problem: _When you meet a young lady and she asks you
to call, how soon can you call_? was the way he worded it to himself. But
when he found the right shelf, he sought vainly for the answer. He was
appalled at the vast edifice of etiquette, and lost himself in the mazes
of visiting-card conduct between persons in polite society. He abandoned
his search. He had not found what he wanted, though he had found that it
would take all of a mans time to be polite, and that he would have to
live a preliminary life in which to learn how to be polite.
"Did you find what you wanted?" the man at the desk asked him as he was
leaving.
"Yes, sir," he answered. "You have a fine library here."
The man nodded. "We should be glad to see you here often. Are you a
sailor?"
"Yes, sir," he answered. "And Ill come again."
Now, how did he know that? he asked himself as he went down the stairs.
And for the first block along the street he walked very stiff and
straight and awkwardly, until he forgot himself in his thoughts,
whereupon his rolling gait gracefully returned to him.
CHAPTER VI A terrible restlessness that was akin to hunger afflicted Martin Eden. He was famished for a sight of the girl whose slender hands had gripped his life with a giants grasp. He could not steel himself to call upon her. He was afraid that he might call too soon, and so Martin Eden page 20 Martin Eden page 22 |