James W. Riley // Love-Lyrics

Inscribed by Author.

Bound in illustrated green cloth boards with gilt title, border.

Pictures by William B. Dyer.

Edition of 1889 (First edition: 1883)

The author offered the book to Charles Holman Black for Christmas, in 1904, with the inscription: “With (…) greetings and encores of a brother singer”

Riley then went on and inscribed his poem “A’ Old Played-Out Song”, which appears page 31 of the book:

 

“Do they miss me at home?” Sing it lower –

And softer -and sweet as the breeze

That powdered our path with the snowy

White bloom of the old locus’-trees!

Let the whipperwills he’p you sing it,

And the echoes’ way over the hill,

Tell the moon boolges out, in a chorus

Of stars, and our voices is still.

[From “A” Old Played-Out Song”. See Hoosier form page 31]

Riley, often called the poet of the ‘common people’ or the ‘Hoosier poet” (he was born in Indiana and spent a very large part of his life in Indianapolis), was an American poet, writer and best-selling author who reached a very high level of notoriety. His poems reflected memories of childhood and nature.

 

Charles Holman Black, also originally from Indianapolis where his father was a music teacher, became a famous Salon singer in Paris.

 

The book is in a very good condition, with some sun fading at the spine and along extremities.