"Dusted and Put Straight. 123 



containing the error. The May-fly came 

 up all out of time this year. I had to hurry 

 off to Hampshire almost three weeks 

 earlier than usual. On my return I found 

 that a terrible thing had happened ; and 

 yet I was expected to say, and did say, 

 it was delightful. My library had been 

 "dusted and put straight." Goodness 

 knows it required it badly enough ! Still, 

 I groaned inwardly as my eyes wandered 

 in search of the old familiar landmarks. 



It was as if an earthquake had taken 

 place, and the face of the country was all 

 altered. A few weeks ago I knew that 

 this particular edition of Walton was in 

 the latitude of White's Selborne and the 

 longitude of Landor's Imaginary Con- 

 versations \ but Landor I find has been 

 promoted, and White I have not yet 

 found. Books which for years have been 

 in the Northern Hemisphere are now new 

 islands in the South Pacific. I feel like 

 a sailor without compass or chart. Even 

 great continents have been split up. 

 Fourteen volumes of The Literature of the 

 1883 Fisheries Exhibition until recently 

 stood shoulder to shoulder ; now five of 

 them are missing lost for the present in 

 the multitude. In this hot weather it 

 gives one a feeling of hopelessness. I 

 want one book. I must look over perhaps 



