[Charles Dickens]. John Overs. Evenings of a Working Man, Being the Occupation of His Scanty Leisure....With a Prefa...

Description

Small octavo (6.25 x 3.9375 inches; 159 x 100 mm.). xiii, [1, blank], [1, contents], [1, blank], 205, [3, advertisements] pages. Title printed in red and blue.

Bound by the Harcourt Bindery of Boston (stamp-signed on the verso of the front free endpaper) in half burgundy morocco, ruled in gilt, over red cloth boards. Spine ruled and lettered in gilt in compartments with five raised bands. All edges gilt. Occasional light foxing. A very good copy.

The preface by Dickens occupies pages [v]-xiii.

"Within three years after [The Pic Nic Papers] Dickens' kindliness was again requested to aid a worthy mortal who was evidently in distress. He was John Overs, a carpenter who had shown some literary ability. Becoming a victim of tuberculosis, he decided with the advice of Dickens to collect what he had written into a little volume, with an introduction by the greater Author to find means of aiding himself and his family...Overs was under the medical care of Dr. John Elliotson, to whom Thackeray dedicated 'Pendennis.' As a mark of gratitude the 'Evenings' was dedicated to the physician" (Eckel).

Eckel, pp. 146-147. Gimbel B151.