A Book a Day, week 19

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDTWENTYSEVEN

"Cruise of the Training Ship" by Ensign Clarke Fitch, 1903 - this publishing b. 1908.

The first 20 pages are missing from this book, so it is difficult to find who published this book and when. But Upton Sinclair wrote a few books under the pseudonym "Ensign Clarke Fitch" and "Lieutenant Frederick Garrison." Pseudonyms seem to be in this week, although I still think Sylvanus Cobb had the more creative names, by far.

My great-grandmother wrote her name inside the front cover, along with Des Moines, Iowa, and the Greek letters Delta, Kappa, Phi, solidifying my guesses at her sorority from book #35.

She dated it 1908.

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDTWENTYEIGHT

"In His Name" by Lillian De Waters, 1926.

With identical publishing design as book #42, this other book by De Waters was written two years later.

"This book will be true to its mission and IN HIS NAME will deliver insight, inspiration, illumination, health, power and glory to its readers."

Inside the book is a portion of a card that has a photo of a woman on it. To me, she looks like Nancy Reagan and, based on the minimal clues on what is left of the card, I wonder if this was an invite for a luncheon fundraiser for her up-and-coming politician husband.

My sister thinks it looks more like Betty Ford.

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDTWENTYNINE

"The Man Without Nerves" by E. Phillips Oppenheim, 1934.

This novel was published in the UK as "The Bank Manager."

I finally started digging through all the old photos that came in the huge red crate we pulled out of my parents' storage unit months ago. Phenomenal.

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDTHIRTY

"The Little Colonel's Christmas Vacation" by Annie Fellows Johnston, 1906.

Johnston is best known for her "Little Colonel" series and Shirley Temple would later play the part in a 1935 film. The role itself was derived from the mannerisms of a five year old child she had met who acted in a similar fashion to her grandfather, an old confederate colonel.

I believe this is the 11th in the series.

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDTHIRTYONE

"The Upanishads - Breath of the Eternal" translated by Swami Prabhavananda, 1947.

Another translation of ancient Hindu texts by the founder of the Vedanta Society of Southern California, my grandfather has his name in here three times again. Once written inside the front cover, once written in the back, and an address label inside the front.

Between pages 138 and 139 is a card from the Department of Healing at the Institute of Religious Science in Los Angeles. On one side is single phrase reading: "I am led and directed by the spirit of wisdom."

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDTHIRTYTWO

"Pioneer Law-Makers of Iowa" compiled by George G. Wright, 1894.

As the cover page says, this is "a brief history of the organization" with proceedings of the reunions of 1886, 1890, 1892 and 1894 for the Pioneer Law-Makers Association of Iowa, which was officially formed on February 28th, 1890.

My great-great-great-grandfather George Garver's brother, John Allender Garver, Sr, had a daughter named Laura. Laura married George G. Wright's son.

There are 2 slips of paper inside this book, with mostly legible notes written on them. The first one, tucked into a page that has a photo of Wright a page before a speech he gave at the 1894 reunion of the Association, explains Wright's connection to our family. He was an incredible speaker.

The other slip is commentary on another speech, describing how cold the temperature was in Iowa.

I wonder if these are Bayne's notes, as they are clearly someone's who is connecting family dots. I will attempt to match handwritings later.

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDTHIRTYTHREE

"Potrzeba Poswiecenia - The Need of Consecration" published by The Christian Science Publishing Society, 1948.

This booklet is in Polish and English (mostly Polish) and appears to be a selection taken from The Christian Science Journal, from October of 1944.

My grandfather's parents were both born in Poland and it's possible that this was his, or his parents...but everything else from this church seems to be from either my grandmother or great-grandmother. Perhaps this was one of them trying to interest him in their views?

A Book a Day, week 18

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDTWENTY

"Selected Studies" by Imelda Octavia Shanklin, 1926.

This book was published by the Unity School of Christianity from the writings of Shanklin.

My grandmother's name and address is written inside the front cover, and on the next page is penciled: "Key to own progress in Life = mental attitude".

Also, "I will arise and shine, for my Light has come, and the Glory of the Lord shines upon me."

Between pages 56 and 57 is a folded up brown piece of paper that has "The Torch" written on one side, with what seems to be a passage from a larger work, or perhaps just a stand-alone quote, by Albion Fellows Bacon. On the other side is typed attempt at a portion of the intro to the quote: "Make me to be a torch for feet that grope. Make me to a torch for feet that grope. Down Truth's dim trail; to bear for wistful eyes."

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDTWENTYONE

"Northrup's Religion and Business" by Theodore G. Northrup, 1917 - this fifth edition, 1925.

Under the copyright page, it reads: "Additional copies may be obtained from THEODORE G. NORTHRUP MOVEMENT, Inc. Hotel Breslin, Broadway at 29th Street, New York City"

This fellow had his own movement, apparently, although I can find no information on it, nor him, online. The Breslin Hotel is still alive and well, though. Wait...he was operating out of the hotel? I'm not sure if that makes Northrup more creditable or less...

The dedication reads: "I dedicate this book to ALL HUMANITY, pointing the way out of fear - worry - sorrow - trouble - poverty, and all unsatisfactory conditions."

Near the back of the book is a page that lists a few people as sponsors of the Northrup Movement. All ten of them have a solid stamp inked over them, perhaps in an attempt to block them out. Diagonally, in the nearest available blank space on the page is another stamp that reads: "Sponsor Committee's term has expired"

My great-grandmother wrote her name inside the front cover, and a small handful of lines are underlined in the book.

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDTWENTYTWO

"The High Mountain" by Pensatia, 1965.

A few paperclip bookmarks immediately give this book away as my grandmother's. Also, her address label is inside the front cover. Attached to the first two pages with a paperclip is seven tall and thin sheets of paper titled "Things I Gotta Do TODAY!", courtesy of Greg Sorah, a realtor in La Habra, CA.

The papers are filled out with notes from the book in my grandmother's scrawl - I really can't make out more than a few words per page. On the first page, it is noted that this was a gift from "L. Hoeppner" at some time, but if it was to my grandmother, I cannot say.


BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDTWENTYTHREE

"Blix" by Frank Norris, 1899.

Frank Norris was an American novelist.

He studied painting at Académie Julian in Paris, and then returned to the west coast and went to UC Berkeley.

Also an originator of the Skull & Keys society, an annual pig dinner in the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity is named after him due to his involvement in the school prank that led to the first pig dinner in 1893. He was a news correspondent in South Africa after college, and a war correspondent in Cuba during the Spanish-American war a few years later, in 1898.

In 1902, he died of peritonitis at age 32, two years after marrying and one year after the birth of his child.

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDTWENTYFOUR

"The Gunmaker of Moscow" by Sylvanus Cobb, Jr., publishing date unknown.

The older brother of the Boston painter, Darius Cobb, Sylvanus wrote popular fiction during the mid-19th century, but was known more for quantity than quality, having written some 120 novels and 800 short stories.

He also wrote under many pseudonyms, including:
-Austin Burdick
-Charles Castleton
-Col. Walter B. Dunlap
-Enoch Fitzwhistler
-Dr. J.H. Robinson
-Dr. S. LeCompton Smith
-Symus, the Pilgrim
-Amos Winslow, Jr.

I'm particularly fond of his use of "doctor" and "colonel" in those names, although "Enoch Fitzwhistler" clearly takes the cake. I almost wish I had come across it while naming characters for the "Lord Winbigler's Folly" project. But it's really TOO good, honestly...

My great-grandmother's name is inside the front cover.

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDTWENTYFIVE

"The History of England - Volume V" by Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay, edited by his sister, Lady Trevelyan, 1861.

On the first page is written: "Henry Garver, Des Moines, Iowa, May 22nd, 1876." My great-great-grandfather would have been 17 years old then.This is some heavy reading for anyone, let alone a 17-year-old boy.

I think this is the 4th oldest book in the lot now.

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDTWENTYSIX

"The Adventures of Poor Mrs. Quack" by Thornton W. Burgess, 1917 - this publishing, 1922.

One of many in the Peter Rabbit series, this one starts with Peter meeting Mrs. Quack, explaining the importance of meeting new people:

"Make a new acquaintance every time you can; You'll find it interesting and a very helpful plan."

Also: "It means more knowledge. You cannot meet any one without learning something from him if you keep your ears open and your eyes open. Every one is at least a little different from every one else, and the more people you know, the more you may learn."

The front page, in scribble pencil, reads: "Bob Riddle to Garver" It looks like a child wrote it, but the name Riddle is unfamiliar to me and which Garver is referred to here is also unknown.

A Book a Day, week 17

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDTHIRTEEN

"Ye Are Gods" by Annalee Skarin, 1952.

Skarin was "was a popular New Age/Metaphysical author, originally raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." (taken from wikipedia)

She was also the granddaughter of "Wild Bill" Hickman (not to be confused with "Wild Bill" Hickok), who served as a personal bodyguard for Joseph Smith, Jr. and Brigham Young. Hickman, while under arrest for the murder of Richard Yates, wrote an autobiography which implicated Brigham Young as the person who ordered the murder of Yates to begin with. Hickman was excommunicated from the Mormon church years prior.

Skarin was excommunicated from the Mormon church as well, shortly after the publication of this book, which was perceived as blasphemy against the church. In order to increase her book sales, she faked her own "translation" (ascension in other religions - the process of directly ascending into heaven, bypassing death), and hid out in Southern Oregon and Northern California until she actually died of natural causes in 1988.

There is one of my grandmother's paperclip bookmarks binding pages 89 through 108 and her name is on an address label inside the front cover.

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDFOURTEEN

"Freedom from the Known" by Jiddu Krishnamurti, 1969.

This book is a compilation of parts of speeches made by Krishnamurti from talks given across the world.

In his youth, he lived next to the Madras headquarters of The Theosophical Society, where his father worked as a clerk. After Theosophist Charles Webster Leadbeater saw the boy's aura, he claimed the boy would become a great spiritual leader.

Krishnamurti was then raised under the tutelage of Leadbeater and Annie Besant, whom he considered a surrogate mother, as his own mother died when he was ten. Besant later took legal custody over Krishnamurti and his brother. Her name has come up before, as she wrote books #11, #30, and #75.

When he was thirty, his brother, who was his closest friend and traveling companion, died from complications of influenza and tuberculosis. This traumatizing event was the catalyst for a new direction for Krishnamurti, and he would soon divert from his belief in Theosophy.

Even though he continued to tour and speak for the Society, his new teachings more and more broke away from the beliefs of the Society and the concept of spiritual leaders., sayng that all societal change must come from the individual.

In his 1929 speech, in front of Besant and three thousand other members, where he dissolved the Society's organization devoted to him being the 'World Teacher,' Krishnamurti said "This is no magnificent deed, because I do not want followers, and I mean this. The moment you follow someone you cease to follow Truth."

The well-polished beacon for the Theosophical Society was groomed from childhood to teach them all and bring new truths to the world. Yet, when he finally began teaching his own thoughts on the truth, as they had prepared him to do, the Society rejected and disowned him.

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDFIFTEEN

"Peace of Soul" by Fulton J. Sheen, 1949 - this 19th edition, 1954.

19 editions in 5 years? Not surprising, though, once I look into Sheen's history. He was an American archbishop in the Roman Catholic Church, born Peter John Sheen, although he was known as Fulton, his mother's maiden name.

He was ordained as a priest in 1919, was the first American to win the Cardinal Mercier Award in 1923 for the best philosophical treatise and taught theology and philosophy in England and Washington DC up until 1950. In 1951, he was consecrated a bishop.

He hosted a radio program for 20 years, two television programs for 6 years and then 7 years, and won an Emmy for "Most Outstanding Television Personality."

Due to his cause for canonization for sainthood being officially opened in 2002, he is currently referred to as a "Servant of God".

He wrote 73 books.

Martin Sheen, the actor, created his stage name after Fulton Sheen.

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDSIXTEEN

"The Growth of the Spirit" by Rita Sutherland Sherry, 1934.

A 15-page booklet out of The Church of the Ascension in St. Louis, Missouri, it has four chapters:

1) Finding God
2) Right Methods
3) Surrender
4) Guidance

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDSEVENTEEN

"Rex Christus - An Outline Study of China" by Arthur Henderson Smith, 1903 - this 2nd printing, 1904.

Smith "was a missionary of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions famous for spending 54 years as a missionary in China and writing books which presented China to foreign readers." (taken from wikipedia)

He was quite possibly the person who nick-named the regional farmers "boxers" who later participated in The Boxer Rebellion.

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDEIGHTEEN

"Treasure of Familiar Quotations" published by Avenel Books, 1963.

251 pages of quotes, with about 6-10 quotes per page, this book probably has them all. The last one is by Thomas A Kempis, whose book "Of The Imitation of Christ" has popped up twice in the project so far.

Tucked between the pages of quotations about 'Cunning,' 'Cunning and Wisdom,' 'Curiosity,' 'Cursing,' 'Custom,' 'Dancing,' 'Danger,' 'Darkness,' and 'Day,' there is an envelope addressed to my grandmother dated April 17th, 1984. It is from my uncle, who was living in Puerto Rico at the time.

The 3rd quote under 'Dancing' is by Milton: "Come, and trip it as you go, On the light fantastic toe."

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDNINETEEN

"The Practice of the Presence of God" by Brother Lawrence.

A book compiled after his death, this is a collection of letters from the Carmelite monk who lived in the middle of the 17th century.

This undated booklet was published by Forward Movement Publications, a non-profit agency of the Episcopal Church that began in 1935. The forward is dated 1941 and references WWII and the "outraged world" of the times, comparing it to the chaotic era Lawrence lived in, the Thirty Years' War.

As this is the 18th printing, I will attempt to contact the publishers to get a closer estimate.

A Book a Day, week 16

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDSIX

"The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ" transcribed by Levi H. Dowling, 1907 - this publishing 1947.

Claimed by Dowling to be the true story of Jesus, including Jesus' "lost years" from age 12 to 30 that are missing from the Bible, this book is the foundation for The Aquarian Christine Church Universal.

Between pages 122 and 123 is a foil wrapper folded in half, acting as a bookmark. It is a wrapper for a Bunte Mint, made by the Bunte Bros. Candy Company out of Chicago. Bunte was bought in 1954 by the Chase Candy Company, so the wrapper must predate that year, unless Chase decided to keep the name Bunte on their mints after the acquisition.

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDSEVEN

"Saint Bernard on the Love of God" translated by Terence L. Connolly, 1937.

Connolly was a reverend and lecturer on English literature at Boston College.

Bernard of Clairvaux was a French abbot who lived from 1090 to 1153.

There is a blue bookmark from the Ames Bookstore in Whittier, California.

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDEIGHT

"Atom-Smashing Power of Mind" by Charles Fillmore, 1949 - this tenth printing, unknown.

This 4th book in the collection by the Unity Church founder belonged to my grandmother. Her address label is inside the front cover, and there are two bookmarks. One, a paperclip, and the other is an actual bookmark with a blue tassel. It is a cardboard cutout of a scholarly-looking cartoon worm reading a book with the words "There is nothing more delicious than a good book!"

The worm is also eating the book.

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDNINE

"Colton and Fitch's Introductory School Geography" by George W. Fitch, 1857.

The 2nd oldest of the books so far and "Illustrated by Twenty Maps and Numerous Engravings," this classroom textbook has my great-great-grandfather's name, Henry F. Garver, written on the title page. It is particularly good cursive, and Henry wasn't born for a year after this book was published, so I will assume perhaps his mother, Barbara, wrote his name in for him a few years later.

One page further in, Sarah A. E. Fusselman's name is written. Twice.

Obviously, the Fusselman name is familiar, but I don't have a Sarah in my tree that I can recall right now - I will have to deep a little deeper on that branch to see what I can find - perhaps a cousin on his mother's side that I missed in my research?

Funny thing about a 153 year old geography book...it's not particularly current. There were 31 states, New York was described as a "middle state," Washington was adjacent to Nebraska, Alaska was still Russian, Canada was labeled as "British Possessions," the capital of California was Sacramento City, and the capital of Utah was Fillmore City.

I'm not even going to talk about the European borders.

This book contains more than just geographical information for the young'uns of 1857 America, though. It also has fairly strong opinions on the various cultures across the globe.

It lists the 5 races of mankind (Mongolian, Malay, Caucasian, Negro, and American) with an illustration of each - one of which looks pleasant and attractive and the other four look angry and menacing. I'll let you guess which is which.

In the section about South Africa, I learned about a group of people called the Hottentots, who were "among the most degraded of mankind."

Also, there seems to be a quick section on religion, asking who Mohammed was. The answer being "The teacher of a false religion, who lived about six hundred years after Christ."

Hoping to get a more positive perspective on any culture, I flipped back to Europe and learned that the character of the people of Scotland is "industrious, well educated and moral," the French "are gay, polite, and brave," and the Spanish "are temperate, but proud and indolent." Alas, "the lower classes of the Irish people...are wretchedly poor and ignorant."

UPDATE - HOURS LATER: Henry Fusselman was the youngest of 14 children. This I knew. But I didn't know the names of all of them. It turns out, sibling # 9 was named Sarah. This would have been Henry F. Garver's grandfather's sister. It is also entirely possible that there was a Sarah in the Fusselman line a generation or two later. Still researching there...

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDTEN

"The Adornment of the Spiritual Marriage - The Sparkling Stone - The Book of Supreme Truth" by John of Ruysbroeck - this publishing, 1916.

Three works from the 14th century Flemish mystic, this book claims to be the first translation into English.

The book is pristine, except for a penciled-in price of 4.50 inside the front cover, which was crossed out, with another price of 1.00 next to it.

The translation was done by Evelyn Underhill, who "was an English Anglo-Catholic writer and pacifist known for her numerous works on religion and spiritual practice, in particular Christian mysticism." (taken from wikipedia)

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDELEVEN

"Let's Get Well" by Adelle Davis, 1965 - this printing, 1972.

Davis was "a pioneer in the fledgling field of nutrition during the mid-20th century. She advocated whole unprocessed foods, criticized food additives, and claimed that dietary supplements and other nutrients play a dominant role in maintaining health, preventing disease, and restoring health after the onset of disease." (taken from wikipedia)

I don't expect to find a book title in this collection that sums up the hopefulness of searching for answers as blatantly as this one. I keep saying to people that these books were clearly owned by "people looking for answers" and the goal of searching for these answers is no simpler than this one here, although the paths and questions asked have ranged greatly.

There are four bookmarks inside this one. The first is a coupon for 5¢ off any two Good Seasons Salad Dressing Mixes, expiring December 31st, 1973.

The second is a double coupon with my grandmother's name typed into it. I wonder if it was something she mailed away for. 10¢ off Bufferin Analgesic Tablets and 10¢ off Nestea 100% Instant Tea or Nestea With Lemon.

The third is a thin strip of paper with a wedge cut out of the top. On it is printed an image of vases on a shelf. The wedge that was cut out is tucked into another page.

The fourth is an ad for Galore spray perfume by Scandia."It is a scent of florals and spices. It makes a distinctive statement. It is yours..."

This shot was just the lighting test of the day, but I ended up liking it better than the actual planned images that followed. My eye is blocked, the book is too parallel to the frame and mostly OUT of the frame, and you can see my hand on the cable trigger for the shutter. Totally not what I wanted. Still, I like it. =)

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDTWELVE

"The Eternal Gospel" by Gerald Heard, 1946.

Another work by Heard, this one has no names written in it, but nearly every page has some passage underlined in pencil.

A Book a Day, week 15

BOOK NINETYNINE

"Little Babs" by George Mitchell, 1919.

A short illustrated children's story about a little girl who wanted a friend, but had too much work to do, Babs meets a handful of fairies who cannot meet her request to be her playmate, but help her with her chores which allows her the free time to make a new friend.

--------------------------------------------------------------
"Are you a Prince or a Sailor or a Soldier or a Clown or a Toyshop-boy, or a Baker's Boy?" asked Little Babs.
"No," said he, "I'm just a Chum."
"That's exactly what I want," said Little Babs, clapping her hands.
--------------------------------------------------------------

BOOK ONEHUNDRED

"Pope's Poetical Works" edited by Adolphus William Ward, 1876.

Heavy, sturdy, with gorgeous typography and tiny font size, this is what an old book should look and feel like.

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDONE

"The Basic Principle in Healing and Demonstration" by Christian D. Larson, 1940.

A 72-page booklet by the New Thought teacher and leader, this is marked up by my great-grandmother who wrote her name inside the front cover and dated it in 1944. No less than ten pages have been ear-marked.

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDTWO

"The Man with the Hoe and Other Poems" by Edwin Markham, 1899.

Inside the front cover is an inscription "Affectionately, Kittie - Christmas 1903" and tucked two pages later is a small card reading "Merry Christmas - To Mrs Garver, from Kittie".

Abrose Bierce wrote of Markham, "It is long since I entertained a doubt of Edwin Markham's eventual primacy among contemporary poets."

Vice-President Thomas Marshall said, "We who are standing here will pass into oblivion - we and all our works will vanish; but the name Edwin Markham will echo down the centuries."

"If you were to ask the first man you meet in the street who wrote 'Hamlet,' 'The Idyls of the King,' or 'The Man with the Hoe,' he would be most likely to know who wrote the hoe-poem." - The Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

I'm not sure if that last quote could be considered a reflection of the education of Seattle in the first few decades of the 20th Century, but certainly Marshall's words have some weight to them. Quick - without looking it up, which American President was Marshall Vice-President to?

That's what I thought...

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDTHREE

"Seeds of Contemplation" by Thomas Merton, 1949.

Inside the front cover is written: "This book belongs to the Library of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepard" but also has a price of one dollar marked in pencil, so I'm assuming that this was bought, instead of stolen, from the Sisters.

The pages are pristine, but there is one bookmark between pages 164 and 165. It is a business card for a Laguna Beach eye physician and surgeon. On the back of the card is written the title and author of a book: 'The Phenomenon of Man' by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, "a Jesuit priest who trained as a paleontologist and geologist and took part in the discovery of both Piltdown Man and Peking Man." (taken from wikipedia)

Thomas Merton was an American Catholic writer who wrote 70 books. He was a Trappist monk, later ordained to the priesthood.

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDFOUR

"This Thing Called You" by Ernest Holmes, 1948.

Another book by the Religious Science founder, this one has a sticker inside the front cover of a snow scene and a book. I assume one is meant to write their name on the empty area of the sticker, but that space was intentionally left blank.

Between pages 44 and 45 is a folded up newspaper clipping from October 28th, 1946 showing the proposed Ridge Route Railway Tunnel underneath Tejon Pass, north of Los Angeles.

BOOK ONEHUNDREDANDFIVE

"Thanatopsis" by William Cullen Bryant, 1874.

"Due to the unusual quality of the verse and Bryant's age when the poem was first published in 1817 by the North American Review, Richard Henry Dana, Sr., then associate editor at the Review, initially doubted its authenticity, saying to another editor, "No one, on this side of the Atlantic, is capable of writing such verses." Although Bryant wrote the bulk of the poem at age 17 (in 1811), he added the introductory and concluding lines 10 years later in 1821." (taken from wikipedia)

Inside the book is a folded up aged letter from someone named Adelaide. She addressed the letter "Hello, dear ones" so that doesn't help much with placing who any of the people involved are, but other names are mentioned. George appears to be her husband, and there are other family members named Charlene, Alvin, Rod and Aunt Margaret.

The letter mostly talks about Adelaide having an emotional breakdown, from having too much to deal with. The details are vague, but family members' health seems to be of great concern, among other worries.

Near the end of the letter is my favorite section:

"Alvin is dear -- and Aunt Margaret (26 years older than her husband) was as good as can be made. But she dressed the youngster in velvet suits and other such crap. Rod was adopted by them at birth -- the family story has it that he is the drunk uncle's natural son which probably is true. I've been asked lately and got right sharp about it -- what the hell difference does THAT make. Odd -- I just wrote you that I don't really like kids. And man, I've been fighting like a fired-up bantam rooster, over this one --- so what about all this nonsense and crap? He is a dear little boy who needs love like no other child I've ever seen. That love will come from somewhere -- might as well start here."

Incredible.

UPDATE 11-30-10: Adelaide was a friend of my grandmother's who lived in Texas. The two would correspond often with typed letters.

A Book a Day, week 14

BOOK NINETYTWO

"Bhagavad-Gita: The Song of God" this translation, 1944 - this publishing, 1947.

A sacred Hindu scripture, the roughly 700 verses in Bhagavad-Gita are the conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna taking place on the battlefield before the start of the Kurukshetra war.

My grandfather's name is again inside the book no less than 3 times. Twice written, and once with an address label. I love how he felt the need to claim his books so thoroughly.

Tucked inside the book is a small leaflet for the Vedanta Society of Southern California, dated October 1957. It contains the schedule of events for both the Hollywood Temple and the Santa Barbara Temple for the month. Every Thursday, there was a class on the Bhagavad-Gita. Something tells me my grandfather had been to at least one of these classes.

The minister of the society is listed as Swami Prabhavananda, one of two names inside the book who did the translation. That name has come up before. Book #53 was written by the author, Gerald Heard, three years after he had met Swami Prabhavananda.

My grandfather would have been 45 years old in 1957, so he was certainly looking for answers in his middle age years, not just in his later years.

BOOK NINETYTHREE

"The Imitation of Christ" by Thomas A Kempis c. 1418 - this publishing, after 1898.

Another copy of day 9's book, this one looks to be much older, but has no publishing date either. The publishing company, Grosset & Dunlap, was founded in 1898 and I would place it within 20 years of that date, judging by the typeface and style of the book itself. Of course, I am no expert, so I won't attempt to date it other than after 1898.

"When the American Publishing Company closed its doors for the last time in 1898, Alexander Grosset and George T. Dunlap were outside the doors. Newly unemployed, with the plates of a couple dozen books originally pirated by John Lovell. Standing out on Sixth Avenue with boxes of supposedly worthless printing plates, these two young men stole a page from the notebook of Mr. Lovell and shook hands on a partnership that changed the face of American publishing.

Grosset and Dunlap began as a pirate enterprise. Cheaply bound books, sold cheaply, without the expense of royalties. The next step was the outright purchase of paperbound books and cut and gathered sheets to be rebound in cloth and sold at deeply discounted prices. Grosset & Dunlap made an immediate impact on the market. Durable, hardback copies of popular books were available at a price that put them in competition with paperbacks and dime novels. The thing that John Lovell had attempted, and failed at, the partnership of Alexander Grosset and George Dunlap had made reality. Books as a mass market product, not a limited market for the well to do." (taken from helium.com)

No names or markings of any kind are in the book.

BOOK NINETYFOUR

"Healing Meditations" by Swami Paramananda, 1940.

Another book by the early Vedanta teachers in America, this one has no markings in it at all, but I will assume it was my grandfather's. It is a small book, 48 pages long.

BOOK NINETYFIVE

"The Little Flowers of Saint Francis" this translation and publishing by Leo Sherley-Price, 1959.

Excerpts on the life of Saint Francis of Assisi in 53 chapters, the earliest manuscript of this from an unknown author dates from the late 1300s, roughly 200 years after the Catholic friar's lifetime.

This text was the inspiration for Roberto Rossellini’s film "Francesco, giullare di Dio", co-written by Fellini.

There are no markings in the book, just a blue bookmark from The Bookseller, an appropriately, but unimaginatively, named book store in La Mirada Mall. The bookmark is in the section where Saint Francis decides between devoting himself to teaching or prayer.

BOOK NINETYSIX

"Sueño de una Noche de Agosto" by Gregorio Martínez Sierra, 1926.

By the Spanish writer and theater director, Martinez Sierra's play here is a comedy that my grandmother had marked up considerably. Her name is inside the front cover, a paperclip bookmark is binding pages 99 to 106, and her translation notes are throughout the dialogue.

BOOK NINETYSEVEN

"Individual Completeness" by Elizabeth Carrick Cook.

This 18-page booklet was published by the Religious Science Institute and written by Carrick-Cook, whose name has come up before as the editor of book #48. Regrettably, there is no publishing date inside the book and I am unable to find much information online.

As amusing as it is when my own blog comes up on the top 10 results for "Elizabeth Carrick-Cook", it is somewhat frustrating that there is so little information about her online.

There are no markings inside the book, just the unfamiliar initials written onto the cover.

BOOK NINETYEIGHT

"Dry Those Tears" by Robert A. Russell, 1951.

Another book by Russell, this one was put out by The Shrine of the Healing Presence and actually does have a publishing date in it.

My grandfather's address label is inside the front cover, but there are no markings inside the book at all.

A Book a Day, week 13

BOOK EIGHTYFIVE

"Intra Muros" by Rebecca Ruter Springer, 1898.

"Rebecca Ruter Springer was a 19th century American author who wrote the famous Christian book Intra Muros, better known today as My Dream of Heaven. As the modern name implies, Springer claimed to have a vision of a Christian heaven and she recounts this vision in her book as well as some personal insights. My Dream of Heaven is considered by many to be a deeply inspirational book." (taken from wikipedia)

Inside the front cover is the name Mrs. Randall, dated Oct. 7th, 1915. The name is not familiar, but whomever that was, she signed it 85 years and 3 days ago.

On practically every page, there is a drawing of either flowers or birds amongst the text. I assume Springer found both particularly inspirational.

BOOK EIGHTYSIX

"Teachings for the New Age - Fundamentals of the Wisdom Teaching, Correlated with Semantic Science: Perceptive Insight" by Vitvan, c. 1946.

There is no publishing date within the book, but online resources suggest 1946 and my great-grandmother wrote her name inside the front cover and dated it 3-8-47.

Ralph Moriarity deBit was a student of Akhoy Kumar Mozumdar, a New Thought Movement lecturer and writer. Mozumdar named deBit "Vitvan" who later became a lecturer and writer himself, founding a movement known today as the School of the Natural Order.

My great-grandmother certainly spent some time with this book - most of the pages have handwritten notes on the edges, with countless underlined passages.

BOOK EIGHTYSEVEN

"Christian Healing" by Charles Fillmore, 1909 - this publishing, 1926.

Whereas day 83's book was clearly read by my grandmother, today's book has my great-grandmother's name written inside it and is an edition from 28 years earlier than my grandmother's copy. This is the second time I have found matching books in the collection belonging to both mother and daughter.

There doesn't seem to be any written notes on the pages, but many parts have been underlined, with numbers written nearby, corresponding to each marked section for some unapparent reason. Chapter One counts up to 21 underlined parts, and then Chapter Two begins with 1a, 1b, 1c, etc...

Between pages 128 and 129 is a thin purple ribbon.

BOOK EIGHTYEIGHT

"Encyclopedia of the Great Composers and Their Music - Volume II" by Milton Cross, 1962.

Mike Lesher's name and phone number are inside the front cover. Neither are familiar.

Volume II has the 2nd half of the alphabet, containing Milhaud through Wolf, with the greats Mozart, Puccini, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Schubert, Strauss, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, and Wagner.

There is also a section titled "A Brief History of Music Since Bach" which I am looking forward to catching up on. My classical knowledge has certainly faded since I played violin.

UPDATE 11-18-10: My mother, after reading this post, has a good laugh and tells me that Mike Lesher was actually an old boyfriend of hers.

BOOK EIGHTYNINE

"The Complete Works of Saint John of the Cross - Volume III" translated by P. Silverio de Santa Teresa, 1945.

"Saint John of the Cross was a reformer of the Carmelite Order and is considered, along with Saint Teresa of Ávila, as a founder of the Discalced Carmelites. He is also known for his writings. Both his poetry and his studies on the growth of the soul are considered the summit of mystical Spanish literature and one of the peaks of all Spanish literature." (taken from wikipedia)

His tomb is in Segovia, Spain, easily one of my favorite towns in Spain. As I recall, my girlfriend at the time and I spent far more time in the Museo de la Brujería (Witchcraft Museum) than exploring the tomb.

The book has deteriorated remains of double-sided tape inside both covers, as if someone wanted to seal the very first and last pages to the cover. Over time, the plan has clearly failed, as all stickiness is now gone.

BOOK NINETY

"A Child's Garden of Verses" by Robert Louis Stevenson, 1885 - this publishing, c. 1923-24.

Stevenson was the Scottish writer most well known for 'Treasure Island' and 'Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'.

This is another Henry Altemus Company publication, who went out of business in 1932. Like book 80, there is no date in the book. Fortunately, there is an inscription to help, and someone who maintains the preservation site for the publishing company was able to date the book around 1923-24 after I emailed today's cover photo.

Inside the front cover, the inscription reads: "Juliette Saylor, from Mary Elizabeth Brown - Christmas 1924. By my count, my grandmother would have been six years old when she received this present from Mary, whose name is unfamiliar to me. Judging from her handwriting expertise, though, I'd wager she was fairly older than my grandmother and not a childhood friend. In pencil, on the next page, is a scribbled "1926" that could very well have been written by an eight year old child.

Speaking of my grandmother's handwriting, I recall my mother telling me how my grandmother was left-handed and was forced to write with her right hand in school, which was considerably less steady. Over the years, her handwriting never seemed to improve with her right hand and, as I hear it, she never went back to her more familiar left hand. Translating her notes now is still quite a chore, whether it be from using her wrong hand or from a stroke she had in her later years.

BOOK NINETYONE

"The Secret Place - A Spiritual Key to the 91st Psalm" by Emmet Fox, 1932.

This is a small booklet, 27 pages long, with a few extra pages in the back listing 46 other works by Fox for sale, most in the $.05 to $.15 range.

During the Great Depression, Fox was the minister of New York's Divine Science Church of the Healing Christ and held large services to upwards of 5,500 people weekly in the New York Hippodrome Theater.

Although I don't believe there is any connection to Nettie Pease Fox, the author of book #1, Emmet Fox knew Thomas Troward, the writer of books #47 and #58.