Recently my big sister headed out from her Tennessee home bound for Oklahoma to help my Mother and I go through some of my late Father's belongings. A grueling task for any child, grown or not, and neither one of us were looking forward to the experience.
Honestly, I was dreading it.
What on earth could be so important that my Father would carefully pack and label each box with it's exact contents?
Things very dear to him, I suppose.
The storage clear-out was at least a decade in the making and none of us knew just what we'd find. My Dad had been incarcerated inside a nursing home for almost eleven years when he passed away in February 2014 and the unit hadn't been touched since the day he first stepped through it's front door.
We found the typical things often found after a loved one has passed~old greeting cards, letters and photos, long forgotten gifts and many personal items.
As a Clergyman, my Dad was always reading and studying and could never pass up a book sale or tag sale. He had an endless hope of discovering something interesting to add to his ever growing assemblage of writings.
He loved the hunt of that rare old find and over the years amassed quite an impressive library for someone of meager fare. So, it was of no surprise to the three of us to find boxes and boxes full of books.
Tons of books.
Hundreds of books.
Thousands of books.
Some were old.
Most were vintage.
And many were true antiques dating back to the 1700's.
One twelve volume set really caught my eye. The Book of Knowledge, The Children's Encyclopedia, was a beautiful leather bound set of books that I took the time to thumb through...
My Father must have really loved these books as they were wrapped in a soft cloth and tied up with string.
First published by The Grolier Society back in 1868 with this edition being dated 1919. Almost 100 years ago now.
Each volume is filled with the most amazing things! Lots and lots of early photographs, small black etchings and the instructions on how to do so many wonderful projects.
Plus...many stories and poems to make you both laugh and smile. I was especially taken with the tale of
The Beauty and the Beast.
I'm afraid I'm used to the Disney version...
I loved reading about the "women" writers of England...like
Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters.
It's incredible how far we've come in a century. My grandmother was born in 1916~two years before the books were published. I can just see her flipping though these pages years ago much like I peruse the internet today.
Still...there is something about holding an old book in my hands. I love the way they smell and feeling it's weight and turning each tattered page. I love finding my way to the end and feeling like I've completed something...
I can't help but wonder what my children are going to say when they find the things I've held dear and meet up one day to un-box them.
I certainly hope they will be kind.
~*~
Thanks Daddy, for holding onto your treasures.
You knew one day I'd find them in the very place you left them.
Gosh...I miss you.
Blessings~
Rebecca
6 comments:
Fascinating! I would have enjoyed going through those books. What treasures. I remember we had a set of the World Book of Knowledge. So interesting that we were able to use those for so long in light of the way information changes so quickly.
What a wonderful compendium of books! And how special that your dad enjoyed them too.
Such a treasure! Even if you do not keep all of them,some can be used in crafty activities and remain memories.
Very sweet memories. My Father was a reader too. He passed on his love of books to me.
A wonderful treasure!
Wow! I love old books too and these illustrations are perfect! I could sit for hours looking through these! Hugs!
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