Nesbit, E.

8vo (203 x 138mm.), FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE (with p.96 misnumbered as "69"), PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED TO THE AUTHOR'S SON ("To | Paul Bland | from his mother. | Nov 11. 1905") on front free endpaper, half-title, frontispiece, pictorial title and 20 plates by Charles E. Brock and H.R. Millar, 9pp. publisher's adverts at end, some leaves unopened, original crimson cloth pictorial cloth, top edge gilt, DUST-JACKET, binding a little faded along upper edge, a few pages with small chips at edges, dust-jacket worn at extremities and partially split between spine and lower panel, one spot of soling to spine of jacket, head of spine with tape repairs to verso

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A collection of the author's assorted magazine stories, including four relating to Oswald Bastable and his family. The Bastable children were first introduced in Nesbit's The Story of the Treasure Seekers in 1899.

Nesbit's son Paul, the oldest of her three children and the recipient of this copy, was also the dedicatee of The Railway Children; the dedication there described him as the one "behind whose knowledge of railways my ignorance confidently shelters".