SOMERVILLE (Edith Oenone) and & ROSS (Martin).

"Happy Days!" Essays of Sorts.

With 12 full page illustrations by Somerville, and an additional tipped in, folding illustration by her of a jovial and large dancing lady, signed by her and seemingly selif-identifying with the manuscript caption “A happy lady!”. First edition. 8vo., original green cloth, dust jacket. London, Longmans Green and Co, 1946.

£165.00

Signed by Somerville on the title page, and with an a.l.s. from her to Lord Dorchester: “This little book has come at last. I made the printers wait till print & paper were less aggressively ‘wartime’ in quality … the Happy lady is trying to express her gratitude to you for the story on Page 112”. The story on page 112 is of the mid-19th century racehorse Cruiser owned by Lord Dorchester: a wild and aggressive animal, he defeated all attempts to break him until he was finally tamed by the original Horse Whisperer John Rarey, although her account is a wildly inaccurate and sentimental version, probably as offered to her by Dorchester. The truth is somewhat better than her story, for the Cruiser victory helped make Rarey a celebrity, and he was given the horse in gratitude.An excellent copy in a chipped dust jacket.

Stock No.
133002