“UNITED TESTIMONY IN FAVOR OF ELLEANOR ELDRIDGE”

ELDRIDGE, Elleanor. Elleanor's Second Book. Providence: B.T. Albro, 1842. 16mo, contemporary half tan cloth, marbled boards, paper spine label. $800.

Early edition of this collection of stories of charity, sold as a fund-raiser for Eldridge in her effort to regain possession of her property, with fine frontispiece woodcut portrait of Eldridge.

An entrepreneurial businesswoman who used her earnings from her cleaning business to buy real estate, Eldridge had her property essentially stolen from her after she had fallen ill. Representing herself in court, Eldridge was able to negotiate a buy-back settlement, funded in part with the proceeds from her Memoirs (1838) and this Second Book (first published in 1839), containing a brief account of her situation, followed by several contemporary stories of community charity. See Jordan 201.1; Work, 311; Blockson 2761. Owner pencil notations.

Quarter-sized circular spot to title page and frontispiece, light scattered foxing, front inner hinge expertly repaired. An extremely good copy.