HELEN'S BABIES. WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF THEIR WAYS INNOCENT, CRAFTY, ANGELIC, IMPISH, WITCHING, AND REPULSIVE ... "By Their Latest Victim." by [Habberton, John] - 1876

Boston: Loring, Publisher, 1876. Medium brown cloth, decorated in black and gilt. A poor copy, lacking the backstrip, with broken hinges and detached endsheets (formerly reanchored with small paper tabs), and other faults. A slightly later printing of the author's anonymously published best-seller. According to Blanck, the first printing appeared only in wrappers, and this copy exhibits the type wear he notes on p.188, and is printed on wove paper. The terminal advert leaf is missing. A presentation copy, inscribed on the blank preceding the title-page: "To Rev. J.H. Twitchell [sic], with the Author's Compliments. Sept. 28/76." Tipped to the now loose free endsheet is a one page a.l.s. from Habberton to Hartford minister and friend of the literati, Joseph H. Twichell, New York, Sept 12/76: "Dear Sir: Remembering an esteemed service which you rendered eight or nine years ago, to Miss Alice Hastings and myself, I can't help feeling that you're partially responsible for the existence of a couple of young gentlemen who 'sat' for the heroes of 'Helen's Babies,' and that you're therefore logically bound to read the book, of which I send you a copy. Yours Very Truly, John Habberton." At his salutation, Habberton has docketed it "To Rev. J.H. Twitchell," making the common spelling error for the recipient's last name, as he did in the inscription. The probable implication of the letter is that Twichell officiated at Habberton's wedding. Rather poignantly, Twichell affixed to the blank verso of the rear endsheet, and captioned in ink, three clippings about the Feb. 1877 death of one of the sons, Charles B., "now known in every household as 'Toddie,' of 'Helen's Babies'..." (Hartford COURANT). It is interesting to remember as well the highly vocal contempt that Twichell's close friend, Samuel Clemens, had for this book, at one point characterizing it as a "nauseous & idiotic" novel. PETER PARLEY TO PENROD, pp. 45-6.