JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN. ..... With a letter from the author. By the Author of "The Head of the Family" and "Olive"

Hurst and Blackett. London. 1856 . FIRST EDITION. Three volumes. 8vo. (7.8 x 5.2 inches). Integral publishers advert leaves at the end of each volume (iii, i, ii) but bound without the publishers catalogue in volume one. Some minor foxing to a few pages but generally a very good clean copy finely re-bound by Bayntun of Bath. Half brown morocco. Spines with raised bands, each with gilt decoration. Compartments double ruled, lettered and decorated in gilt. Tan cloth on boards Marbled endpapers. Top edges gilt. A lovely copy in a fine quality, highly attractive leather binding. Loosely inserted is a 4pp hand written letter from the author (" Your affectionate Dinah") to "My Dear Alice" ( her God Daughter, the subject of the poem "My Godchild Alice"), closely written in black ink on four sides of folded leaf, each side measuring 4.5 x 3.5 inches. The letter is undated but circa 1859 and discusses, among other things, the publisher Alexander Macmillan's approval of Clarence Dobell's illustrations for her book, Our Year: A Child's Book, which was published by Macmillan in 1860. The book was dedicated to "Nora and Alice". She asks Alice to help her by gathering facts about the countryside "whatever a country child should look for or have noticed in walks every month" for the book which is to set out in 12 parts, each relating to one month of the year. A lovely copy of the book with a charming contemporary letter to the Author's God Daughter and dedicatee of one of her best loved Children's books.