S'wonderful...
My little brother tugged my hand, “Let’s go upstairs! Upstairs!”
I followed him, but the newly filled used bookshelves caught my eye. 25 cents for a paperback, 50 for hardcovers, you can’t find a better price. Title by title passed by roving eye. No, I’m not interested in learning science of love, or how to find the perfect couch, or the phrenology of apes. By the time I had reached the last bookshelf, I had a difficult time trying to keep my laughter silent. Then two books, side by side, arrested my attention.
Hardcovers, brand new condition.
I could smell the newness, the pages felt crisp, clean between my excited fingers.
And the titles?
John Montgomery Boice/Philip Ryken’s The Doctrines of Grace, a crème hardcover, it *felt * good. And John Julius Norwich’s Shakespeare’s Kings, with a Medieval picture of Edward the II on the dustcover.
I went, well rather bounced, up the two flights of stairs to the children’s section. Narrowly missing some innocent children in my enthusiasm.
“Daddy! Daddy!”
The librarian at the desk just looked up and smiled recognition at me, she probably has built an immunity to my book-joys, along with the other librarians. I found Daddy sitting down, answering MichaelAngelo’s billionth question about the origin of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. His glance at me was one of relief, “Found anything?”
Jubilant words tumbled out, instead of trying to understand me, Daddy wisely just took the books from my open hand and inspected them. He had a big smile, “Good books.” I was looking more for a, “Here’s a dollar.” So, I waited for a few seconds, and Daddy told me that he didn’t have any cash on him. Not even one dollar (the cost for both books).
I rechecked my pockets. Of course, nothing but my Pocket History of the Church: a treasure unto itself… but still, not a dollar.
Daddy flipped through the pages of The Doctrines of Grace. And we grinned at each other.
From the middle of the book, a dollar tumbled out. Just the right amount for both books.
Now, they are both at my bedside, beautiful books. :) S’wonderful...
A delightful telling of the account this is: suspenseful (for someone who loves good books), vivid, well constructed. But, I find you also have a buoyant jollity in your manner of telling it, which seems wholly apt when considering what happened.
The Doctrines of Grace! One of the first theology books I ever read. It's proved itself as one of those wonderful books that people kept wanting to borrow it from me. I don't know how many copies I've bought, because I usually let the person keep the book =) (That and 'The Folk Keeper,' I know I've bought that one six times now!)
Thanks, Mr. Jensen :)
Anne! I remember when you *first* read that book, we talked about it right before our Mr. Jones class started early one morning. *grins* And the Folk Keeper! I've bought that one at least 4 times.