The Sleeping Car, a Farce by W. D. Howells ( William Dean Howells), is a comedy of confusion aboard a sleeping-car on the Boston and Albany Road. With Howells's the stock couple, Mr. and Mrs. Roberts (based on the author and his wife) the Campbells (Mr. and Mrs. Mark Twain), and a cast of miscellaneous characters, the comic play was copyrighted in 1882.
This antiquarian "Twenty Second Impression," was published buy in 1883 by the Riverside Press / Houghton, Mifflin and Company. This copy is in very good antiquarian condition, with the spine tight except of a smidgen of loosening at the first few pages, but all the pages are firmly sewn. The hardcover shows signs of normal age and use, with bumped corners, wear to the top and base of the spine, and the slight smudges associated with shelf wear. The pages, which have turned light sepia-beige over their 135+ years, are clean and unmarked.
The dark navy blue cover is trimmed with silver scrolls, and the title and author's name are embossed in gold.
By late 19th century standards, a book this size - 4 inches high, 3 1/4" wide, about 3/8" thick - was often termed "pocket edition."
It is 74 pages long, excluding fly leaves, title pages an a list of plays and poems by Wm. Dean Howells.
A nice collectible little book for historians, theatre buffs, teachers, students, bookworms and literary bibliophiles - and an appealing addition to any home library or theater collection.
Product code: The Sleeping Car, Farce by W D buy Howells 19th Century Comedy