It is glorious to have gifts two of them So that you can express in both the ways the shadows of those things which you imagine but I can well see how there must be a big tug now and again between those gifts your own to you, and those other gifts that come to all mothers. At the best of times one small child is full employment for all the grown-ups within hail. God certainly made the little ones but Eblis made their diseases. She is not quite well a cold or something and you can distinctly hear all our hearts beating all down the road when she sneezes. When a man or a woman goes down with something it s bad enough but with a child well my brother in law s baby, a three toothed little maiden of fourteen months and much dignity. In part: That news about your daughter is not good. He also goes on to playfully chastise Foot for ending The Chosen Valley and acknowledges his hypocrisy over hating inquiries about his publications while wanting to ask Foote a myriad of questions about hers. Foote s sick daughter, his own niece s health, and the role of mothers. Kipling apologizes for the delay in writing before remarking on Mrs. A neatly written letter signed Rudyard Kipling, addressed to Mrs. The letter: 3pp of a bifolium, measuring 4.5″ x 7″, Brattleboro, Vermont, dated September 10, 1892. Gilding to the page block on all three sides. More foxing to the Second Jungle Book than to the first. Internally, both books are clean, however the typical foxing spots as usual within the text commensurate with age. No owner s inscriptions in the First Jungle book, gift inscription in black ink to the ffep of Vol 2 as shown. Since both volumes have been housed in their respective solander case for a century the books have little shelf wear to them.

Light stains to front boards as shown and a little shelf wear. Gilding of the elephants and the cobra are NOT rubbed out and beautiful. Condition: near fine boards with the gilding on the spine intact and NOT rubbed out. From 1905-1910 Brett was the private secretary to Lord John Morley, the Secretary of State for India, making this a nice India association first edition set. Provenance: the two books are from the library of Oliver Brett, the third Viscount of Esher with his coat of arms bookplates to each front pastedown. Together with a fascinating three-page long handwritten letter to a fellow writer penned in 1892 on the eve of Jungle Book duology publication. Rudyard Kipling (18) The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book, UK first editions, first printings, published by Macmillan.

The jungle book 1894