Many of his books are bereft of the binding; and in attempting to replace the covers, Hudibras gets the cover which belongs to "Barnes on the Acts of the Apostles." An earthquake in the room would be more apt to improve than to unsettle.

There are marks where the inkstand became unstable and made a handwriting on the wall that even Daniel could not have interpreted.

If, some fatal day, the wife or housekeeper come in, while the occupant is absent, to "clear up," a damage is done that requires weeks to repair.

For many days the question is, "Where is my pen?
Who has the concordance?
What on earth has become of the dictionary?
Where is the paper cutter ?" Work is impeded, patience lost, engagements are broken, because it was not understood that the study is a part of the student's life, and that you might as well try to change the knuckles to the inside of the hand, or to set the eyes in the middle of the forehead, as to make the man of whom we speak keep his pen on the rack, or his books off the floor, or the blotting paper straight in the portfolio.
The study is a part of the mental development.

Don't blame a man for the style of his literary apartments any more than you would for the color of his hair or the shape of his nose.