The Delft Cat and Other Stories

New York: R.H. Russell & Son, 1896. Cloth. Very good +. F. Berkeley SMITH. [CHILDREN'S BOOK] F. Berkeley SMITH, illustrator. 24mo (5 7/8" x 4 ¼"); 71pp; blue stamped pictorial of a cat on a cushion to front on white cloth over board; top and fore-edges untrimmed; pictorial endpapers; heraldic bookplate of Annie Edgerly Thayer on verso of ffep; wood-cut illustrations including fp and vignette on the title page; light shelf-wear; very good plus. This small book contains three stories, The Delft Cat, Eleanor's Christmas, and Jack's Fox-Hunt all accompanied by charming illustrations from Francis Berkeley Smith (1868-1931) and printed by wood-cut. The Delft Cat follows the adventures of a china mantle cat and her irritation of permanently sitting on a cushion. Eleanor's Christmas tells of the sorrows of a young girl born wealthy but with little parental love and her toys who come to life. Jack's Fox-Hunt recounts the experiences of a city boy who visits his uncle in rural Virginia. A trio of engaging stories accompanied by delightful illustrations.

The heraldic bookplate of Annie Edgerly Thayer (1870-1957) owner of the grand home, Thayercrest, at Framingham, New Hampshire is found on the recto of the free front endpaper.