Alonzo and Melissa: or The Unfeeling Father. An American Tale. [Pirate Edition]

Book Description

Portland, ME: S.H. Colesworthy, 1837. First Edition Thus. Hardcover. Light shelf/edge wear, minor loss at head and tail, small closed tear at head, square discoloration at front from long paste-on, ring mark at rear, pencil notation at ffep, joints starting, else tight, bright and unmarred. Full brown leather boards.16mo. 143pp. Illus. (b/w plates). Notation at ffep reads, "These engravings are home made at Colesworthy's shop". Except for a few verbal substitutions, this is identical to Isaac Mitchell's story "Alonzo and Melissa, a tale" which appeared serially in the Political Barometer, Poughkeepsie, NY, June 5-Oct. 30, 1804. Mitchell's story, revised and copyrighted, first appeared in book form in a two-volume set published at Poughkeepsie in 1811 under title "The Asylum; or, Alonzo and Melissa". In the same year the first of the plagiarized editions by Daniel Jackson. (Additional background can be found in BAL 14020, DAB v. 13, p. 48-49. Not in Williamson). A very scarce early Maine imprint.

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