第5部分(第1/7 頁)

nity；　unaware　of　degradation　suffered。　Only　by　contrast　with　this　thick…witted　multitude　can　I　pride　myself　upon　my　youth　of　endurance　and　of　bat。　I　had　a　goal　before　me；　and　not　the　goal　of　the　average　man。　Even　when　pinched　with　hunger；　I　did　not　abandon　my　purposes；　which　were　of　the　mind。　But　contrast　that　starved　lad　in　his　slum　lodging　with　any　fair　conception　of　intelligent　and　zealous　youth；　and　one　feels　that　a　dose　of　swift　poison　would　have　been　the　right　remedy　for　such　squalid　ills。

XII

As　often　as　I　survey　my　bookshelves　I　am　reminded　of　Lamb's　〃ragged　veterans。〃　Not　that　all　my　volumes　came　from　the　second…hand　stall；　many　of　them　were　neat　enough　in　new　covers；　some　were　even　stately　in　fragrant　bindings；　when　they　passed　into　my　hands。　But　so　often　have　I　removed；　so　rough　has　been　the　treatment　of　my　little　library　at　each　change　of　place；　and；　to　tell　the　truth；　so　little　care　have　I　given　to　its　well…being　at　normal　times　（for　in　all　practical　matters　I　am　idle　and　inept）；　that　even　the　eliest　of　my　books　show　the　results　of　unfair　usage。　More　than　one　has　been　foully　injured　by　a　great　nail　driven　into　a　packing…case……this　but　the　extreme　instance　of　the　wrongs　they　have　undergone。　Now　that　I　have　leisure　and　peace　of　mind；　I　find　myself　growing　more　careful……an　illustration　of　the　great　truth　that　virtue　is　made　easy　by　circumstance。　But　I　confess　that；　so　long　as　a　volume　hold　together；　I　am　not　much　troubled　as　to　its　outer　appearance。

I　know　men　who　say　they　had　as　lief　read　any　book　in　a　library　copy　as　in　one　from　their　own　shelf。　To　me　that　is　unintelligible。　For　one　thing；　I　know　every　book　of　mine　by　its　SCENT；　and　I　have　but　to　put　my　nose　between　the　pages　to　be　reminded　of　all　sorts　of　things。　My　Gibbon；　for　exam