UN-EARTHING THE RARE GOLD NUGGET

Today I thought I would head downtown and check out the brand spanking new Public Library. I did not realize that the Grand Opening was to be at 12 noon, exactly the time I arrived and huddled outside the closed doors awaiting the magic and escape from the cold!

We did not wait too long, Upon entering I realized there were hundreds of people pouring in from all entrances. The ground floor quickly filled to capacity and it was difficult to move around. The various rooms housing the different sections were not open yet. We had to wait on all the pontificating before we were allowed entrance.

I went upstairs to the balcony area and looked down for awhile until I grew antsy.

I headed towards the Twice Told Book section, where they sell the discarded library books from all the branches. Sweet Relief, it was open and operating with hundreds of people sipping cappucinos and browsing among the cast off tomes.

I finally was able to squeeze in and try to check out the travel books.

Did not find any, but I was eye to spine on an old beaten up copy housed in a corner section under a sign that read "Classics".

To Kill A Mockingbird.

One of the very few books that I have read over and over. Perhaps only one of two books I have ever read twice. I picked it up and noted it was in pretty bad shape. The binding is cracked and held together with scotch tape. The dust jacket is gone.

I flipped it open and saw this......


I could not believe my eyes! I took the book to the counter and handed over the two measly bucks they wanted for the book and walked to my car in a daze.

Sure it's old and very beat up. It is beyond reprehension that the damaged dust jacket had been cut and pasted on the inside pages!

It is a first edition To Kill A Mockingbird!

I wonder how many eyes have read the words on the 47 year old pages. I wonder how many hands carefully turned every page and became more and more involved with this classic story.

What a day. The best $2.00 I ever spent.