A BOOK WITH TWO TITLES

Good Morning to you,

Do you remember a couple of weeks ago, I told you about my trip to Heaton with Gloria.   I mentioned I had found a few treasurers.....well I have one for you today.

This book has two titles, 

Mattie and Bessie

or

Climbing the Hill

I could not see an explanation as to why a book would have two titles, but as you can plainly see from this photograph, Mattie and Bessie is in larger print and Climbing the Hill is in smaller print.

This book was presented

to,

"Ada Laidler

for reciting at the Winlaton

Wesleyan Sunday School Anniversary

June 3rd 1888"

There are four prints in the book

The first caption reads,

"Her bonnet was roughly torn from her head,

and Tom Raynor stood holding

it by the string."

Here are a couple of sentences to enjoy.

"Here we are, Mr Wilson!"

"Sit down, dears," said the old man;

"take off yer bonnets, and we'll have

some tea."

and,

"Now that's just about the wonderful'st

thing I ever hear tell on,

to keep prayin',  prayin' and 

never stoppin', till yer wakes up one

mornin' and finds just what yer bin' prayin'

for under yer very own winder - and socks too."

just a little more for you,

"She was seated upon the ground,

with his aching head in her lap, while

little Bessie bent over him, stroking

him with her thin little hand, and

murmuring now and then,

poor Tom! poor Tom!"

I have shown you the Contents page

because at the start of each

chapter there are beautiful

illustrations like the one

below.

and again for Chapter 1.

At the end of each chapter

I found these lovely

little designs,

they look like a beautiful 

full stop!

I couldn't resist showing you the

list of books which could

be bought for the price of one penny

or for the price of half a penny.

This is a lovely little book....yes well worn, but that means it has been well used. I wonder how Ada felt about receiving this book, in a time when the majority of people did not own books. 

Do you remember, when I told you that Ivy, as a child had to make a choice, she could have bread and butter or bread and jam, but not both. See here  Comparing the cost of bread and butter in the 1888's to the cost of a book, I would imagine Ada's family were relatively well off as to own a book in 1888 must have been quite a treasure.

I also wonder how many hands this book passed through before it came into mine....there must have been many.

All I can say is I am grateful this little book came into my possession with all of it's hidden history. 

Take care and I will see you later in the week.

Before I go, this week I will be joining,

Claudia at Mockingbird Hill Cottage

and

Karen at Sew Many Ways