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Melbourne, E.W. Cole, Book Arcade, [1913]. Octavo, 200 pages. Red- and black-pictorial blue cloth heavily bumped on the corners and a little marked, with the spine rubbed and darkened; bottom corners of the boards lightly cracked; top edge (possibly) originally dyed blue, other edges foxed and marked; free endpapers tanned; scattered foxing; minor signs of age and use; overall, a decent copy. The author's first published book. The front cover illustration is by David Low; the last six pages are a glossary 'for the use of the thoroughly genteel'. McLaren 243. The Institute of Australian Culture contains on its website some interesting information about this book, contributed by Neil Glover (who made much more sense of McLaren's notes than this cataloguer). The book was issued in wrappers, in cloth (as here), and in leather (a deluxe boxed edition). Glover writes: 'McLaren speculates that 5000 copies in total were printed by E.W. Cole. Possibly 4400 Paperback, 500 Cloth and 100 Leather'. In early May 1916, Cole advised Dennis the remaining stock comprised 1977 copies in wrappers, 60 copies in cloth, and 35 copies in leather. 'This highlights the slow sales. Following a dispute with Cole over the Bloke stories appearing in "The Sentimental Bloke" without permission, Dennis purchased the remaining stock which is thought to have been pulped by George Robertson. It can therefore be assumed that approximately 2500 Paperbacks, 450 Cloth and 60 Leather bound copies were sold'. Certainly, one hundred and ten years later, copies in cloth are very scarce, and the leather-bound edition is an absolute rarity. Provenance: Alice Grant Rosman (born Alice Trevenen Rosman, 1882-1961), Australian journalist and novelist: born in Kapunda, and educated and employed in Adelaide, she emigrated to England in 1911. 'A journalist, with her own page on C.J. Dennis's "Gadfly" in 1906-09, later she worked on the "Evening Post". She was weekly columnist for the "Daily Herald" in 1910 and, as "Rosna", provided Adelaide gossip and reviews for the "Bulletin" in 1908-11. She published in "Lone Hand", the "Australasian", "Sydney Mail" and "Steele Rudd's Magazine"' ('Australian Dictionary of Biography'). The front free endpaper is inscribed to 'Alice Grant Rosman | wishing our Matchmaking Aunt | every Luck & Happiness in 1914 | From the S.E. & his P.P.S.'. A typed note tipped in on the front pastedown supplies the relevant missing details. 'The S.E. was A.E. Martin, sub-editor of "The Gadfly" when Dennis was editor, and later, after Dennis quit, editor. The P.P.S. (Private and Particular Secretary) was an in-joke and referred to Eileen Knuckey who became, in 1913, Mrs. A.E. Martin. Alice Rosman had been a great advocate for their marriage, hence the term MATCHMAKING AUNT. She usually referred to herself, in her letters to them, as "Your Aunt-in-ink"'. We can only be grateful to the anonymous author of this note. Seller Inventory # 137249
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