The Ballad of Babie Bell by Aldrich, Thomas Bailey

New York: Rudd & Carleton, 1859. First edition. Hardcover. Good. 12mo, 117, 5 pages, brown embossed cloth, brown coated endpapers, front hinge cracked; the publisher's adverts. appear in 5 or 10 page versions: copies appear with or without one. Note: contemporary bindery sticker of Geo. W. Alexander on rear endpaper. On the rear blank leaf appears a note signed by Eugene Field II, Sept. 25, 1925, that this copy was from his father's library: it sports a forged Aldrich signature (surely executed by his partner-in-crime, Harry Sickles) on the title-page, but it does not have EF's bookplate. The first selected collection of verses by Aldrich. "Equisitely printed, and bound in muslin - publisher's catalogue at rear." This "Ballad" was Aldrich's most popular poem. Aldrich succeeded William Dean Howells as the Editor of "The Atlantic Monthly".

1859. ALDRICH, Thomas Bailey. THE BALLAD OF BABIE BELL AND OTHER POEMS. NY: Rudd & Carleton, 1859. Sm. 8vo., embossed brown cloth. First Edition. [BAL 253]. Merle Johnson's first state, with the publisher's Broadway address on the title page. Signed presentation from Aldrich on the title page: "Miss Annie M. Rinehart. With the best wishes of T. B. Aldrich." Very Good. $275.00.