THE THROWN ELM (Original Handwritten Manuscript of this Hardy Poem, a Working Copy Heavily Revised) by Hardy, Thomas - 1914

1914. Hardy, Thomas. "THE THROWN ELM & SHE." Original handwritten manuscript of Hardy's poem, one page, 4to, (n.p., n.d.) Eighteen lines of verse, written in ink on fine paper, titled at the top: "The Thrown Elm" with "& she?" added in pencil. An excellent Hardy poem dealing with the theme of a love which is lost to time, using the age-rings of a finally fallen Elm tree as a conceit, beginning: "When you put on that inmost ring / She, like you, was a little thing: / When your circles reached their fourth, / Scarce she knew life's south from north. . . ." Nine of the eighteen lines show revision, some of these alterations are extensive. Lightly and uniformly faded and toned (from a previous framing), but essentially in Near Fine condition. Housed in a new green folding case. According to Purdy (p. 255) this is the manuscript "given by Hardy himself to Mrs. St. John Hornby." C. H. St. John Hornby (1867-1946) was the founder of the famous Ashendene Press in 1895 and served as chair of the Hardy memorial committee after the author's death. It is an earlier draft with alterations and alternative readings. The final version was first published in WINTER WORDS (1928) under the title, "The Felled Elm and She." Hardy routinely destroyed his working drafts; we've only seen a handful such as this, in commerce or at auction, in the last thirty years.. Signed by Author. Original Manuscript. Unbound. Near Fine.