Dream libraries

Tuesdays are usually when I post the week's menus because it is also the day I go to the grocery store. I'll get them up in the next day or two, but I am completely distracted by wanting to write something else. Actually, it is just an excerpt from Cold Steal, the latest Leonidas Witherall book which we started at tea time. This is for the book lovers and house lovers among us. Essentially, what has happened up to this point is that Leonidas has been travelling around the world, having come into an inheritance. While he was travelling, he asks a friend to oversee the building of a new house for himself. This comes as he is has come home and is seeing the house for the very first time.

     "No one, Leonidas thought with a rush of emotion, had any nicer friends.
     Only one thing had bothered him. Cassie had apparently wangled all his worldly possessions from the storage warehouse, but so far he had seen no books. Where were his books?
     He crossed the hall and opened the door directly opposite.
     'Ah!' he said. 'Ah!'
     Shelves of books rose from the floor to the ceiling, two stories up. That was all there was in the roo, just shelves and shelves of books. Except for a flat-topped natural wood desk, built into a little enclosure at one corner.
     There was a little sign beside the inkwell.
     'From Dow, who designed it.'
     Leonidas glowed.
     If this sort of thing kept up much longer, he was going to dissolve into tears.
     He kept wondering how one got to the top shelves, when he suddenly became aware of the ladder. Then, with a cry of pleasure, he discovered the tracks that ran around the linoleum floor [publishing date is 1939] floor, close to the shelves.
     It was like a shoe-store ladder. It ran around. 
     Then Leonidas opened his mouth and hooted.
     It was electric!
     Climbing the ladder, he pressed the starter button.
     Around and around the room he rolled until at last he took a firm grip on himself and turned off the motor.
     'Wholeheartedly,' Leonidas said, 'I approve of this house!'"

His discovery of all the other parts of the house do carefully designed for him are equally charming. Everyone was smitten. L. announced when we were done with the chapter that she was going to go create Leonidas's house in Minecraft and zipped off.

It hits all the notes, doesn't it? Coming home to find a crazy wonderful house and exploring it and knowing it is all for you. And, not only that, but discovering a library with two stories of book shelves and an electric ladder to zip around on. Ah...

I don't know about you, but there are certain things that would definitely be in my dream house if I were ever in a position to create such a thing. A two story library with rolling ladder would definitely be high on the list! 

Comments

jan ranger said…
THAT WOULD BE AMAZING!!!!!!!
12/15/2020 10:38 PM
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