Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-17
A DICKENS FIND.
Poor Man Buys a Valuable Pamphlet
Play for a Penny.

1oof man Buys valuable Pamphlet
Play for Penny.
From the London Mail
A poor man was lately fortunate enough
to buy for one penny pamphlet valued at
f75!
He was looking over some old books in
a secondhand furniture shop in St. Johns
wood, when a gentleman beside him threw
down a tattered bundle of printed matter
saying, Il don't think they are any good ;,
He picked the packet up and, finding it
contained an old play entitled, rs She His
Wife? or. Something Singular" by Charles
Dickens, bought the lOt-for a penny
He says it was the last penny he had in
the world, and unless he sold his purchase
that afternoon he had little prospect of pct
ting any dinner on the morrow. So, with
a shreWd idea that his find was of consid
cradle value, he took it to a dealer In old
books, and after some bargaining got 50
down for this play, together with a prom
Use that he should have the half of any-
might realize.
Investigation showed that the pamphlet
was one of the greatest interest to all lovers
OF Dickens Mr. w. T. Spencer. a well-known
authority on Dickens literature purchased
1t. He declared that it belongs to an edit
ton that has hitherto been wholly un-
hlo"n: - 4
Something Singular comic burletta in
one act, by Charles Dickens, was nre-
scented at the st. James Theater: but the
only printed copies known to present-day
collectors have been those of the edition
issued at Boston, U. S. A. in 1877
In his Hints to Dickens Collectors. Mr.
dexter says: This play is supposed to
nave been published in London in 1887. The
work was reprinted by James 0soood -
Co., Boston, U. S. A, 32mo. and unfortn-
Eately the original copy was burned in the
nre when destroyed their business prem
iSes in 1879 "a
Mr.. osgood states that his original was
DENY octave of 80 pages without wrap-
per, but he had entirely forgotten the nuh-
llsher's name. 1 have never seen a conv
or It, nor do l know any one in this coun-
try who has; it would certainly cause a
small sensation in the Dickens world if
copy should turn up by any chance"
Another authority, Mr.. c. P. johnson.
writes that the play 's said to have been
privately printed in 1887, but no copy is
known to exist
Now. unless Mr.. Osgood made a mistake,
this lately discovered copy is not one of
the edition from which his was copied
There is no date or publishers name on it.
but it is a 22-page post Svo with a printed
wrapper. while he said his original copy
was 3O-page deny octave, without wrap
per. So it seems that this is one of an
issue the very existence of which has
hitherto been quite unsupported by all
the authorities.
In 1871 Messrs. Chapman and Hall re-
printed Dickens THE Strange Gentleman
from the original edition of 1897 and nut
it in wrapper similar to that on this pam
phlet. us She His Wife," has been sub
mitted to them, and after examining the
printing and paper they declare that it was
printed for them prior to 1873 though
they have not been able to find any record
of its issue.
The explanation of the pamphlets strange
appearance in the furniture shop confirms
its undisputed claim to authenticity The
belongings of the late Augustus Egg, r. A,
had after his DEATH been bought up by
the shopkeeper. who supposes the pam
phlet must have been among them
Now. Augustus Egg was a personal friend
Of Charles Dickens, and had acted with
him in a play written by Lytton Where
fore it seems probable that Dickens him
self sent this copy to his friend, and as
some parts Of it are underlined as though
it had been studied. Mr.. Egg possibly In
tended to play one Of the characters at
some amateur performance.
This is an interesting discovery, and
shows that although the chances of light
ing upon valuable finds in out-of-the-way
places are daily becoming rarer. there are
still unsuspecteds treasures left to repay the
intelligent searcher.