LITTLE MOTHER AND HER CHRISTMAS (17 pages of text) Together with: IL SANTISSIMO BAMBINO (5 pages of text).

(no edition, nor date noted). Contains four full-page, high-contrast, striking and evocative steel-engraved plate illustrations; and seventeen vignette to half-page illustrations from steel-engravings. Phebe F. McKeen was the assistant Principal (her sister Philena was the Principal) of the women's college, Abbot Academy from 1859 through her death of tuberculosis in 1880. During the 1870s she wrote a handful of main-stream publisher books for, and about children. All of her books are uncommon, this one is quite scarce. Phebe and her sister believed in equal rights for females and African-Americans (their home had been an underground railroad for most of the 19th century) and believed in advancing equal education for women (who had 'superior qualities'). Both of these Christmas stories are well-written with superior vocabulary for children and incorporate warm family values with the religious story, themes, and meanings of Christmas. Inner hinges cracked, but still holding, rub-wear and nicks to shelf-edges, nicks and wear to corners, wear and nicks to upper and lower spine edges, else good in waxed green cloth over color illustrated boards; no dust jacket, as issued. An impressive Christmas and children's collectible. Octavo; 9.5 X 7.5; unpaginated (17 & 5 pages of text).…