Marm Lisa - inscribed with original poem & letter
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1896. First printing. Hardcover. 8vo, publisher's green cloth with paper spine label. Good to very good, both inner hinges show neat restoration, slight loss to edges of flyleaf. With laid in note from Wiggin (signed as Riggs, the surname of her second husband), and original unpublished poem on flyleaf by her, as well as inscription by her on title page. The short note by her, on a 6 x 4" half-sheet of notepaper reads, "Dear Mr. Williamson, It's a shocking confession; one, I, being tired, turned this query over to my supposedly un-literary husband & HE wrote the answer -- I simply consigned [?] it. Kate Douglas Riggs." Wiggins' second husband was a linen importer. Not sure what question Williamson was asking, but there is a small clipped printed verse asking what became of the Grubb twins (characters in "Marm Lisa"). Wiggins has also written a charming twelve line poem that speaks of her collaboration with her husband: "Who has ever writ a story / simple, tender, ghastly, gory, / or portrayed a situation / without Muse's inspiration? / She, the Muse, can give the answer / not poor me, a mere romancer / as to whether Mistress Mary / ever wed the Solitary. / She's the source of inspiration / go to her for information / It is not that I refuse / I refer you to the Muse!" The novel recounts the story of a 12-year-old girl, Marm Lisa who lives with a selfish Mrs. Grubb in a miserable condition, being affected by some illness. But her life changes when she comes across Mistress Mary and her band of angelic spinsters who teach her everything and even try to cure her. Good. Item #s00011173
Price: $375.00