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Albert, Mary.
Butterflies and Fairies.
Publisher: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, London;
Date of Publication: 1873
Stock Code: 14673
Square duodecimo, pp., 224, [4] publisher’s advertisements, plus frontispiece and 5 full-page plates. Publisher’s original green cloth, titled in gilt within black-stamped floral frame to spine and upper board; border in blind to lower board. Hinges cracked and joints a little worn but holding well, slight shelf-wear to extremities; cloth bright. Spots of toning to contents but generally clean and neat. A very good copy. A charming and scarce work for juvenile readers, consisting of two stories on butterflies and fairies respectively. Mary Jemima Albert (1830–1902) turning to writing to support herself, her mother and her six siblings upon the death of her father. Her earliest works were children’s books (presumably formed from stories told to her siblings) and she later wrote adult novels. She appears to have spent much of her later life in poverty, writing "I wrote for thirteen years before I sold anything, and then received £10 from the S.P.C.K. for a small volume.". This work probably being that book. The fairy story is titled ‘Where there ever any Fairies?” and begins with the quite logical premise “I know there are no fairies now; and that’s a great pity; but don’t you think that there must have been some a long time ago? Because, if there never were any, how could people have though of them at all?”. £125.00