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HARDY, Thomas : LIFE'S LITTLE IRONIES

HARDY, Thomas. LIFE'S LITTLE IRONIES. (London: Osgood, McIlvaine, 1894). First edition. 8vo., olive cloth, decorated in brown, lettered in gilt. Collection of tales published the year after Tess of the D'Urbervilles, and the year before JUDE OBSCURE. Originally planned as a volume bound identically to A GROUP OF NOBLE DAMES, but two weeks before publication the publisher wrote Hardy, "We thought it wise, in deference to the wishes of the trade, to change the cover to the extent of having a dark cloth and adding the title on the [front] side." Moderate wear to extremes, slight rubbing, touch of soil to cloth, small puncture wound to spine. Hinges starting, with age-browning to perimeters; hint of skewing to boards. About very good; uncommon in the first. (Webb p. 29), Good