The
Moose Ladies and the Book
This evening I spoke to the ladies of the
Moose. In their constitution is a clause that bids them once a year to donate
one book, fewer than four dollars, to the local public library. A staff member
goes to accept.
This year it was my turn again! But this year “I
got them” at last! They are rather hostile. They arrange a visit because it is
in the Constitution. They are not readers. The whole bit is an interruption to
their meeting.
Millie Buchan and I went once, she to act as projectionist for
the film,"You and your Library”.
It was pouring rain and cold. I was not
allowed into the meeting room, had to stand in a drafty outside hall without
even a chair to put my seat on.
The time came. Millie did not. We waited and
waited. Finally the chief female moose disappeared back into the Moose Den.
Where was Milly? There was a thunderous bumping in the lower hall. Millie,
soaking wet hair stuck to her face, rivulets of water streaming down her face
dragging her equipment. She had gone to the wrong hall half a block away, had
dismissed her taxi and was left out in the rain. The hall door was locked, she
has been waiting there while I was here.
We showed our film, I made my little timeworn
pitch about "the library is yours use it”; there was nary a comment nor
question.
They said “thanks for coming”, my reply “thanks
for asking” it was over.
NO BOOK!
As we
continued on there was a splashing behind me, a hand trust out and into my hand
was the book. The forgotten moose book!
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