The Complete Works of O. Henry, Manuscript Edition. Complete in Twelve Volumes. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Page & Company. Of This Edition One Hundred and Twenty-Five Copies Have Been Printed of Which This is Number Seventeen Printed for James Stewart Cushman. Uniformly bound in half-vellum & brown paper binding with gilt top edges. Publication dates range from 1904 - 1912. O. Henry's Manuscript page found in
The Four Million, proceeding copyright page. All volumes measure 10 x 7", large octavos.
**Please note the volumes are not numbered, however, for ease of describing conditions they will be listed as they are pictured above:
Vol. I: The Four Million (Contains manuscript page and numbering); Vol. II: Cabbage and Kings; Vol. III: Heart of the West; Vol. IV: The Trimmed Lamp; Vol. V: The Gentle Grafter; Vol. VI: The Voice of the City; Vol. VII: Roads of Destiny; Vol. VIII: Options; Vol. IX: Whirligigs; Vol. X: Strictly Business; Vol. XI: Sixes and Sevens; Vol. XII: Rolling Stones.
In poor condition. As is. Water dampness staining found in all volumes at top edges (see photo #4). Vellum spines are all moderately to heavily soiled & toned from general shelf-wear & possible water damage. Gilt lettering and ruling on all volumes are dulled/soiled & hard to read. Boards, in general, are scuffed at edges & worn/bumped at corners. Paper boards are rubbed & gilt lettering is hard to read as well. Top edges gilt. Front hinges split on Vols. I, & VII with exposed binding mesh - these volumes front gutters are split as well. Vol. I includes tipped in note from publisher on front end-page. Manuscript page is taped onto two leaves proceeding copyright page and preceding contents page. Manuscript exhibits some tears around gutter from tension when opening & closing the work, but is otherwise intact & legible. Text-blocks clean. Bindings are intact, please see photos and ask questions about any specific volume before purchasing.
O. Henry, penname for William Sydney Porter (1862-1910) was an American writer known primarily for his short stories, through he also wrote poetry and non-fiction. Porter's stories are known for their naturalist observations, witty narration, and surprise endings. This limited edition set (number 17) includes a manuscript page from the story Law and Order.
The page is #6 in O. Henry's count and says,
"...possible foe that menaced us int he rear. I saw a horseman dressed in black, who might have been a lawyer or a parson or an undertaker, trotting peaceably along the road by the arroyo. Bud noticed my precautionary movement and smiled sarcastically and sorrowfully. 'You've been away too long,' said he. 'You don't need to look around any more when anybody gallops up behind you in this state, unless something hits you in the back; and even then it's liable to be only a...'"
A gift quality set despite imperfections. Perfect candidate for restoration.
FORN-MSB-0324-0690-HK1268