on enabled him to do so,
he would one day found a similar institution in his own little native
island of Guernsey. Throughout the whole of his future career this
intention was present with him; and commencing at once,--in spite of
his then very limited means--to purchase books which should form a
nucleus for the anticipated collection, he began to lay the foundation
of the literary treasures which crowd the shelves of the Guille-Alles
Library to-day. At the age of twenty, when out of his apprenticeship,
he found himself the possessor of several hundreds of volumes of
standard works, many of which are now in the Library, and upon which
he must naturally look with peculiar and very legitimate pleasure, as
being the corner stones of the subsequent splendid superstructure.

Business affairs prospered with Mr. Guille. As time rolled on he was
taken into partnership with the firm, as was also his friend and
fellow-countryman, Mr. F.M. Alles, and his increasing prosperity
enabled him to put his cherished project into more tangible shape.
While on a visit to Guernsey in 1851, he wrote a few articles in the
_Gazette Officielle_, with the view of drawing public attention to the
importance of forming district or parish libraries. These articles
attracted the notice of _The Farmers' Club_, an association of
intelligent country gentlemen who met at the Castel. Their secretary,
the late Mr. Nicholas Le Beir, wrote to Mr. Guille at the request of
the members, informing him of their appreciation of his views, and of
his having been elected an honorary member of their association, in
token of their esteem. They had previously elected in a similar way
the famous French poet Beranger, and also Guernsey's national bard,
the late Mr. George Metivier. Mr. Guille accepted the honour, and the
correspondence which ensued resulted in his offering his collection of
books--supplemented by a considerable sum of money--towards forming
the commencement of such libraries as he had been advocating. Nothing,
however, really definite was done until Mr. Guille's next visit to
Guernsey in 1855-6, when after consultation with that devoted friend
of education, the late Mr. Peter Roussel, a meeting of a few
friends--including Mr. Roussel and his venerable mother, Mr. Guille,
Judge Clucas, Mr. Le Beir, and Mr. Henry E. Marquand--who were known
to be favourable to the project was held, several handsome
subscriptions were promised, Mr. Guille renewed his offer p