Book Sale Find

I haven't gotten around to showing of this year's "Friends of the Eugene Library" book sale find yet. Each year, volunteers spend hundreds of hours sorting thousands of books that have been donated to the library and then have a two day book sale at the fairgrounds. Last year's sale netted $80,000 for the library.

I bought a bunch of children's books (yes, I know newborns can't read but one must be prepared), including We Like Kindergarten, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin. The sale's quite a deal since the kid's books are all a dollar and are in very good shape.

My splurge cost $25 (but it helps the library, right?).

A circa 1940 edition of Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery with it's original dust jacket (carefully protected in a plastic sleeve). And here's the best part...

It had an inscription

Mrs. Richards.

From,

The "Richards" Glee Club.

New Glasgow, P.E.I.

August 25th 1940.

And the original thank you note...

It reads:

To Mrs. Richards.

We, the members of the "Richards" Glee Club wish to extend our appreciation for training us in our choruses each evening during your stay here. We wish to thank you for organizing the club, in which you showed your thoughtfulness and kindness.

Though your visit was short we have made an acquaintance that will not be forgotten. You have shown us what an excellent "Pianist and Singer" you are, and helped us to master those lovely hymns. Should the time come when with Mr. Richards you will pay a return visit to Prince Edward Island you will be assured of a welcome.

In closing we ask you to accept this small gift, not for its value but for the love that goes with it.

On behalf of the Glee Club

There's something so extra delightful about the fact that it's from a group of people on Prince Edward Island; even more proof of exactly how proud they were of their world famous author.

New Glasgow is only a few miles from L.M. Montgomery's home and when we made our pilgrimage to P.E.I. a couple years ago we drove right through it. This book somehow found it's way in the other direction and made it nearly to the Pacific from the Atlantic coast over the last seventy years.