FANTASY

See the two men’s entries in the Oxford DNB. In good condition, on the first leaf of bifolium. (There are extensive pencil annotations in a later hand on the second leaf.) Very neatly written. Addressed to ‘J. G. Wilson Esqre.’ and signed ‘Anstey Guthrie’. He has ‘much pleasure’ in answering Wilson’s question. ‘‘Shut Out’ is a short story of mine which was published in Longmans Magazine about 1895 or 6, afterwards included in a volume of short stories under the title of “The Talking Horse”. I think published by Messrs. Smith & Elder - but now long out of print.

An excellent letter to enthusiastic autograph collector Eileen Margaret Cond (1911-1984). It shows Cond’s ability to draw a more than perfunctory response from her targets. 1p, 8vo. In fair condition, lightly aged and folded for postage. Signed ‘Francis Vivian’. He is ‘very grateful’ for her ‘appeciation of my book, The Three Short Men. I have to confess that I thoroughly enjoyed writing it, even though both Pam and Hathersage at times refused to obey my orders, and went their own sweet way.

1p, 12mo. Seventeen lines of closely written text. In fair condition, lightly aged and worn, laid down on a leaf from an album. The recipient is not named, but is addressed as 'Monsieur le Comte'. The letter concerns the count's 'ami et protégé' 'M. Leharivel' [author of 'Grammaire Francaise Pasigraphique, Simplifiee Et Regularisee, Pour Servir de Base Fondamentale; Et Anecdotes, Et Contes Historiques (1839) ].

3pp, 12mo. Bifolium. Fifty-one lines of text in a close neat hand, the last page written lengthwise. In good condition, lightly aged, with traces of white paper mount adhering to blank reverse of second leaf. Folded once. The letter is signed 'Barry Pain'. The recipient is not named, but is James Payn, editor of the Cornhill Magazine, who had just published the story that made Pain's name, 'The Hundred Gates'.

2pp, 12mo. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. Folded once.

[8] + 200pp, 8vo. In light-brown wraps with title repeated on front cover. Worn, on aged paper, with the upper back few leaves dogeared, and spotting at foot of first few leaves. The present proof must in some regard differ from the published version, whose various listings on COPAC give it 200pp, rather than the 199pp here. Lewis's two-page 'Introductory' concludes with a vivid picture of the Inklings: 'The first two chapters had been read aloud by the author to Professor Tolkien and myself.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. He writes: 'Dear Mr Montague Ball: - | I am very pleased to have your kind wishes & appreciation. | Yours very sincerely | Louis Tracy'.

ONE: Letter. 1 November 1901. On letterhead of 56 Wimpole Street, London. 3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition. With blank reverse of second leaf laid down onto a flyleaf of the book. Benson is not named, but is without doubt the recipient.

The colourful life of the 'deeply eccentric Bradford-born writer' Jaeger is the subject of a good obituary in the Scotsman, 2 October 2008. In his youth Jaeger was adopted by Lady Margaret Sackville, and moved in Edinburgh high society. While studying at Montpelier University he developed a close friendship with the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore. While living in Bognor Regis he made the acquaintance of Julian Maclaren-Ross, with whom he sampled the wares of Fitzrovia.

Art critic. Two pages, 8vo, good condition. He informs his correspondent of his belief that S.H. Sime, illustrator and artist, is still alive [in fact died 1941 re. George Locke]. H e runs obver the main events of Sime's life getting a small fortune, starting life as a coal miner, "fantastic imagination", "Pick-me-up", art editor of "The Idler", collaboration with Arthur Lawrence, Dunsany books, blossome as a painter, retirement from "life and publicity, rappeared at the St George's Gallery. Konody then lost sight of him.