1865 antique NORTHAMPTON Massachusetts PAYSON WILLISTON

1865 antique NORTHAMPTON Massachusetts PAYSON WILLISTON  …..

1865 antique Mt. HOLYOKE College WILLISTON OBSERVATORY ….

Well, here is a marvelous, touching, and scarce item.  A first edition, printed in 1865, it is titled PAYSON, A MODEL BOY; or,  RECOLLECTIONS OF JOHN PAYSON WILLISTON CLARK, A TRUE STORY FOR BOYS.  It is a sort of loving of John Payson Williston Clark, written by his father.  It’s about a lovable, promising boy who drowned in Northampton,  Massachusetts, in what was then called Damon’s Mill Pond.  I’m a little thrown off by the “Clark” part of the name…. John Payson Williston was a well known figure in both Northampton and Mt. Holyoke College, and both are mentioned prominently here. The John Payson Williston Observatory is the oldest academic building at Mt. Holyoke.  At any rate it’s a lovely, striking tale.  The father had been sitting in his peaceful little parsonage, at Mt. Holyoke, I think, when the doorbell rang.  A messenger with a “telegraphic message” stood at the door.  The envelope is superscribed “Death Message.”  They open it and find the words:  “You son was drowned this afternoon.  Come as soon as possible.”  The book contained four engravings originally.  Unfortunately, two are missing…..

I  listed this same book twice, because there are so many terrific references in the contents that I can’t fit them all into one title.  As soon as the book sells, I’ll delist the other entry. …..

PAYSON, A MODEL BOY; or,  RECOLLECTIONS OF JOHN PAYSON WILLISTON CLARK, A TRUE STORY FOR BOYS,  L. Clark, Zachariah Eddy, New York: Phillips & Hunt, 1865.  4 x 6 inches.  188 pages.  Brown cloth covers, faded, soiled, frayed at head and tail of spine.  Antique bookplate on front pastedown indicating ex-library ownership.  May be a Sunday School Library.  Moderate foxing/staining on some pages.  Tight binding.  Condition: Fair (based in part on the two missing engravings)……

Ships within 48 hours from Maine.   Secure packaging...."Like Fort Knox" one

customer said.   Shipping charge includes tracking service. Always happy to combine shipping on multiple orders. A husband/wife team selling fine books since 2002.   http://www.pinetreebooks.com ……. mailto:pinetreeb@maine.rr.com