[Wilkie Collins:] “The Girl at the Gate (Written for the Christmas Spirit)”

Description: Wilkie Collins (1824–1889) [Wilkie Collins:] “The Girl at the Gate (Written for the Christmas Spirit)” [published within:] The Spirit of the Times. New York: E.A. Buck, Editor and Publisher, Saturday, Dec. 27, 1884. [657]–696pp. Magazine. 15¾ x 11 inches. Full-page cover illustration by Alfred Thompson; illustrated ads. Lightly dust-soiled at center fold line; near fine condition. Rare first appearance of Wilkie Collins’ short story “The Girl at the Gate” published in New York in December 1884 before its January 1885 appearance in “The English Illustrated Magazine.” “The Girl at the Gate” was explicitly written for this special December 27, 1884 “Christmas Spirit” issue of The Spirit of the Times, The American Gentleman’s Newspaper. It was later reprinted as “Mr. Lepel and the Housekeeper” in the book Little Novels, a collection of Collins’ short stories published in 1887 toward the end of his life. The narrator of the story declares, “One of my objects in writing these lines is to vindicate the character of an innocent woman (formerly in my service as housekeeper) who has been cruelly slandered.” (p658) Set in Italy, the short story concerns a love triangle, a mysterious illness, and poisoned medicine. The story is notable for its positive portrayal of Roman Catholicism, a priest playing a minor role in the plot. Contemporary English “...critic Edmund Yates wrote an article on Collins’s fiction, suggesting that it was exceeded only by that of Dickens, Thackeray, and Charlotte Brontë.” (ODNB) Collins, a collaborator with Charles Dickens at the magazine Household Words, had, like Dickens, toured and given public readings in America. The American audience for “The Girl at the Gate” would have been familiar with Collin’s novels The Woman in White (1859) and The Moonstone (1868), the latter often referred to as the first modern English detective novel. It is not surprising, therefore, that a story like “The Girl at the Gate” would appear in a popular sporting magazine aimed at gentlemen such as The Spirit of the Times. In 1989, Sothebys hammered down the manuscript draft for “The Girl at the Gate” for just over $15,000, all in. Our Stock# 3727762 About Us Established in 1995, Ian Brabner, Rare Americana, LLC buys and sells rare and antiquarian books and historical manuscripts published or created in pre-1900 America. We are located in Wilmington, Delaware. Member Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA). International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB). The Manuscript Society. Ephemera Society of America. Guarantee All items are guaranteed to be as described. Authenticity is guaranteed for the lifetime of the original purchaser. As a member of the above-named trade organizations, we abide by their published code of ethics. Any item is returnable for any reason within 30 days(prior notice appreciated). If you have questions regarding our description for this item, please contact us. We will be happy to answer them. Shipping Items are expertly packed in bubble wrap and shipped in new boxes or reinforced envelopes. No International Buyers Please, no buyers outside of the USA. Feedback We leave feedback after receiving feedback from buyers. If you're unhappy with any part of your transaction with us, please let us know. Our priority is to make you happy and resolve issues promptly. © 2024 Ian Brabner, Rare Americana, LLC. All rights reserved.

Price: 1250 USD

Location: Wilmington, DE

End Time: 2024-11-30T17:49:28.000Z

Shipping Cost: 5 USD