Hand-Edited Story and Two Typed Letters Signed

Washington, 1907. unbound. American author, editor, and compiler of historical fiction and factual reminiscences. She had a long association with Harper's Monthly Magazine and published two books about Abraham Lincoln with Harper and Brothers: "The Toy-Shop," a romantic story of the president's quest to recapture his youth, and "Body-guard to the President," the recollections of Col. William H. Crook. In 1907, Harper's Monthly Magazine published "The Toy -Shop," originally a 15-page story about Abraham Lincoln. The response was so great that Harper's suggested that Gerry write a full-length book. We offer the original 15-page signed printed story of "The Toy-Shop" that appeared in Harper's Monthly Magazine in 1907, in which Margarita Gerry has made extensive handwritten corrections, deletions, sentence changes, added writings, etc. which has altered the published version to the point of it becoming an entirely new manuscript (unpublished). It is quite possible that she used this extensively-corrected and altered manuscript as a guideline for the book project which resulted from the original short story. Her editing covers almost every single printed line in red ink. Also included: two typed letters signed, each 1 page on personal stationery, Washington, D.C., no date (but docketed 1907), both dealing with her difficulties in parting with a photograph of herself that a publisher needs for reproduction, "Please return this picture...it is the only one I have...so I really couldn't bear to give it up..." Both letters are trimmed; all items are in good condition.