“Hail, thou goddess, sage and holy!
Hail, divinest Melancholy!
Come; but keep thy wonted state,
With even step and musing gait,
And looks commercing with the skies,
Thy rapt soul sitting in their eyes,
There held in holy passion still
Forget thyself to marble....”
The stack rooms or apartments where the books are kept open out on each side of the rotunda. The cases rise way up to the roof and are filled with adjustable shelves. There are decks at intervals of every few feet from top to bottom by which the attendants reach the books.
Each of these stacks will hold eight hundred thousand books, and although they may be consulted by any one, very few are ever lost, for only members of Congress and about thirty other officials can take books out of the library.
“As there is a constant call for books of reference from the Capitol when legislators often want a volume for instant use, an underground tunnel has been made between the two buildings. This contains a cable carrier upon which books can be sent back and forth,” explained Mr. Dauntrey. “But haven’t you seen enough of the library now?”
“There is Mr. Ludlow!” exclaimed Dorothy, “and I think he is calling us.”
“Yes, let us go over to him,” added Mrs. Calvert. “Come.”
“Ah, here you all are,” said Mr. Ludlow. “I called to you just now because there is one painting I would like to have you all see before you go upstairs to the restaurant.”
“Is it here?” questioned Dorothy.
“No. You follow me and I will bring you to it in just a few seconds,” answered Mr. Ludlow.
“Here we are. I want you all to follow this series of pictures.”