Even the most honest of people make mistakes. We often get people claiming they’ve returned books to the library and after exhausting themselves and our ear with their pleas, complaints and sometimes threats, they find it at home and have to some how return the book without losing face. We always say:
“That’s great, it’s just good to get the books back.”
"Here they are! They fell under the table. Time to fess up, again."
Now it seems that even the most honest person, the legendary George Washington, first President of the Unites States of America had problems with returning his library books.
I’m sure he meant to. I’m sure he gave them to a friend to return, that’s an old story. Possibly he put them in his saddle bags to return that day and then forgot, he was a busy man, running a fledging country and fighting wars with whoever it offended. From the story it sounded like one of the President’s aids actually borrowed the two books. Did the President commit the terrible sin of lending his library card to someone else?
However it occured, the White House now owes the New York Society Library more than $300,000 in overdue fines, though they aren’t charging the fines to the current administration . I also note that there is no mention of replacement cost for the two items.
They, like us, live in hope. They’re just looking forward to getting the books back.
And sometimes people actually return long overdue item. Happy endings do occur in real life.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/21/2905478.htm