The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Jukes

I had never read this story before, or didn't remember it. "More strange things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of..."

The trials and uncertainties of bookselling
Yesterday I received an order for an old book about angels, written by a female preacher. It had been a beautiful book before somebody highlighted almost the entire text with a yellow marker, and underlined passages with ink. My Amazon listing was the lowest price for that title, $32.97. I was afraid to price it any lower, as "lowballing" incenses higher sellers almost to the point of violence. Sometimes even that far. Anyway, I had described it in detail, and somebody bought it. So I enclosed a $5 bill in it, with a note explaining that I was trying to be fair, and that would at least refund his postage charge. Minus the shipping and handling, I made about $23 bucks anyway. That was only my second sale in February.

I really resent it when I get a lovely book that someone has defaced. Notwithstanding the fact that I used to write in books all the time. At least, I don't think I ever wrote in them with ink. Maybe I did write my name with ink in some. My Oscar Williams book of American poetry, the first book I ever bought with my own money (in 1954), is full of penciled notes, all of which have faded to pale gray smudges on the pages and could be erased with some kneaded eraser.
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Loryn's quilt top split and ripped when I tried to remove the machine-stitching across one side of it. It must be quite old. I wrote and told her that I would make her a pillow sham or something out of the undamaged side, maybe a baby quilt.