t societies of nautical research. But on the evolution of the
sky-topsail or fore-top-gallant-backstays his word carries much weight.
He will travel a hundred miles in a week-end to see an illumination or
carving of a ship, and his vacations he spends touring France and
Flanders in search of stained glass windows that may throw some light
upon his hobby. His collection of seals incised with ancient ships is a
fine one, and the proceedings of more than one society are the richer for
his researches.

Not long ago I came across another example of the manifold uses to which
a private library can be put. A friend had given me a letter of
introduction to a collector with whom he desired me to become
acquainted. I was given to understand that the fellow-spirit was an
exceedingly well-read man, and something of a wanderer.

'He's a great traveller,' said my friend with a laugh, 'there's hardly a
country in the world that he has not visited.'

'What an interesting man he must be,' I replied, 'but why do you laugh?'

'Oh, you'll see all right presently,' said he; 'but go and spend an
evening with him; you will certainly be entertained--provided you are
sympathetic and content to let him do all the talking.'

So a few days later I called at the house of the traveller. He welcomed
me in his study, a fine large room yet possessed of that cosiness
imparted by the presence of many books. The walls were entirely covered
with bookcases to a height of about eight feet; and these contained, he
told me, about three thousand volumes. At the end of this long room was a
wide bay window, and here was placed a comfortable easy chair with twin
oak tables, very strong and low, at either arm. Close at hand were a
revolving bookcase and a stand containing five or six japanned cylinders
about three feet long, and some six inches across, such as are used to
contain nautical charts.

'You are fond of travel, are you not?' I remarked, as soon as I was
settled. 'Jones told me that there are few countries with which you are
unacquainted.'

'That is so,' he replied; 'travel has always been my passion from my
youth up, and of all the volumes which you see around you, there are
scarcely a hundred that do not treat of some foreign country or voyage.'

'How interesting,' I replied; 'it is a wise old dictum that there is
nothing like travel to broaden one's mind. Unless we acquaint ourselves
with the opinions held by men of other nations, men whose eve