Autograph Manuscript Signed

This well-known French poet, novelist and playwright was elected member of the Académie française in 1909; his home at La Garde on the French Riviera is now a museum. AMS, 20pp (rectos only). 8" X 10 3/4", n.p., n.y. [ca. 1890]. Very good to near fine. Custom bound in half grey cloth with gilt spine lettering and marbled paper over boards. Binding is very good, showing mild edgewear. Holograph manuscript for "La Noel du petit Jean," penned boldly in black ink on heavy stock leaves and boldly signed at the conclusion. Clearly a working draft, for it contains crossouts, insertions and corrections throughout. Apparently this was a novel, for the journal "Bulletin Bibliographique" and other scholarly sources of 1890-91 list an Aicard work by this title, one even noting 754 pages -- though perhaps these are lists of works in progress, for no published novel by this title can be found. To confuse matters further, the gilt title of this bound manuscript notes "1909," although this could be an error or simply the year this was bound. After the closing signature on the final leaf, Aicard pens the address of the "journal le Figaro" in Paris. An intriguing manuscript worthy of further research.