Unpublished youthful autograph poem by Sylvia Lynd [née Sylvia Dryhurst], dealing in a humorous style with the perils of buying footwear in Edwardian Finchley, North London, beginning: 'By some devil surely sent | Sandal hunting off I went'.

2pp., 12mo. On bifiolium of ruled paper, with 'HIERATICA' watermark of 'J. S. & Co.' From the Lynd archive, and judging from the handwriting a youthful effort, almost-certainly dating from before Sylvia Dryhurst's marriage to Robert Lynd in 1909. In fair condition, on aged paper. In seven stanzas, the first three giving a taste of an amusing and unusual jeu d'esprit and excellent piece of Edwardian social history: '1) By some devil surely sent | Sandal hunting off I went, | And my footsteps never slowed | Till I reached the Finchley Road. | Chorus: (with fervour) Damn them ! | Damn them ! great & small ! | Damn each one & damn them all ! ! ! ! | 2) Lilley & Skinner, FitzJohn's Co. | Green & Edwards on we go - | Woodcock's, Barnes's hopefully | Then returning dolefully. | Chorus: (with more fervour) | 3) Asking "5" they gave me "4", | Or "sold out", they had no more, | But a "2" they could supply | New lot coming - by & bye ! | Chorus: (more fervent still !)'. After yet more fruitless hunting, in the sixth stanza the narrator exclaims: 'Sandals all may go for me | To the bottom of the sea | (That's politer than the D -)'. The poem ends with a recitation of the chorus 'with concentrated venom'.