Little-Folk Lyrics.

POEMS FOR CHILDREN: AN EARLY COPY BEING ONE OF FIVE SIGNED THE DAY AFTER BEING DEPOSITED IN THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

SHERMAN, Frank Dempster. Little-Folk Lyrics. 16mo, original tan cloth stamped in black, pp. 88, t.e.g. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1892.

First Edition. An early copy, signed by the poet on half-title. Sherman (1860-1916), was a professor of architecture and graphics at Columbia (1887-1916), known for his charming, witty, occasional verse. Tipped-in is a October 9, 1892, ALS in pencil to Miss Emily Hoe Lawrence, from Edwin B[abcock] Holden (1861-1906), American book collector, an early member and president of the Grolier Club, in which he writes, "Dear Miss Lawrence, The poet was here this P. M. & possibly would have sent you this himself were he not too bashful. You will note that it is an autograph copy & should be duly appreciated as he only signed five copies." Emily Hoe Lawrence (1834-1909), was the wife of Cyrus J. Lawrence, wealthy New York banker and collector. Mary Cassatt's ca. 1898 portrait of her is at the Clark Museum, Williamstown, MA. The book was deposited at the Library of Congress a day earlier than this copy was signed, October 8th, which is the date of the presentation copy at Yale. Merle Johnson's You Know These Lines cites the book for containing the poem Daisies, which begins, "At evening when I go to bed..." Scribner catalogued a copy in 1951, saying, "Contains the little gem 'Daisies,' for which Eugene Field is usually given credit. Uncommon." The only signed copy we have found is a copy of the 1897 edition inscribed to John Kendrick Banks "with love," offered by Goodspeed in 1935. The DABsays "his catholic and warm humanity also found expression in poems for children which many readers have placed on library shelves besides those of Robert Louis Stevenson." With Lawrence's exlibris by Edwin Davis French (1851-1906), prolific American bookplate engraver, who also designed E. B. Holden's plate; the plate signed "E. D. F. 1894." Spine extremities lightly rubbed.