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1892 The Birds' Christmas Carol by Kate Douglas Wiggin / Houghton, Mifflin & Co. / Illustrated Antique Book / In Good Condition

1892 The Birds' Christmas Carol by Kate Douglas Wiggin / Houghton, Mifflin & Co. / Illustrated Antique Book / In Good Condition

Regular price $80.00 AUD
Regular price Sale price $80.00 AUD
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Here is a charming antique hardback copy of The Bird's Christmas Carol by Kate Douglas Wiggin (best known for Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm). An illustrated short novel published in 1892 by Houghton, Mifflin & Company.

The story is about Carol Bird, a Christmas-born child, a young girl who is unusually loving and generous, having a positive effect on everyone with whom she comes into contact. She is the youngest member of her family and has several devoted older brothers. At about the age of 5, Carol contracts an unspecified illness (possibly tuberculosis), and by the time she is 10, she is bedridden; physicians say that she does not have long to live. Most of the brief novel's plot involves Carol making plans for a Christmas celebration for the nine Ruggles children, a poor, working-class family living near the Birds.

Wiggin's story is primarily a moral tale about a loving and generous child. However, unlike the children often featured in similar stories of the period, Carol is refreshingly intelligent and cheerful instead of pious. The story is also enlivened by many humorous touches, particularly in the scenes of the Ruggles family's home life.

Inside the pages are clean and tightly bound. Has a few folded top corners. There is an inked name at the top of the front free endpaper but no other writing or markings of previous ownership. You can see some brown glue along the joint at the front between the frontispiece and the title page. With a number of lovely black and white illustrations.

Bound in light blue/grey papered boards with cream cloth spine. Has rubbing to the corners to reveal boards beneath (see close-up photo). Has a light brown stain on the cream cloth on the back board with a few other very faint handling marks to the cloth.

Your antique copy of The Birds' Christmas Carol will be wrapped with care in tissue and ribbon* and sent well packaged. I am always happy to add a gift card with a message to the parcel if desired.

H 20 cm x W 14 cm, 0.24 kg, 66 pages. I dispatch worldwide daily from the UK. (There are just a very few countries which I am unable to ship to).

* If you would prefer your book not to be decoratively wrapped but sent simply in the full protective packaging, please add a note to the order.

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