1922 christmas spy birmingham alabama: reformed alcoholic dad home for Christmas

Description

Please add me to your
favorite sellers list
- see more BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA, CHRISTMAS and BOY related collectibles not
always found in eBay's so-called "search":
Here's a
WORKING & SAFE EBAY LINK
to my other BOY collectibles:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_ssn=catherbrownbooks&LH_PrefLoc=&_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=boy&_sacat=0
and a
WORKING & SAFE EBAY LINK
to my other Birmingham Alabama collectibles:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_ssn=catherbrownbooks&LH_PrefLoc=&_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=birmingham&_sacat=0
and a
WORKING & SAFE EBAY LINK
to my other Christmas collectibles:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_ssn=catherbrownbooks&LH_PrefLoc=&_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=christmas&_sacat=0
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FREE SHIPPING - AS USUAL
THE CHRISTMAS SPY
by Margaret Louise Keenan
Birmingham, Alabama: Printed by Roberts & Son, 1922 [date found on back of title page; printer's imprint is at back of book]; 1st edition - almost certainly the only edition; with 26 + [i] pages - that last, un-numbered page being the Birmingham printer's logo plus original
overlapping
printed paper covers. Tipped-on cover illustration of 2 boys (the author's children?) is a
real photo
- NOT a halftone photo - and it's hand-tinted. The book is tie-bound and the original tie is very strong.
Children's book.
Sweet Christmas story about 2 boys who are trying to celebrate Christmas but are unhappy because they think their father is dead. The decide (without their mother, a struggling writer, knowing) to make a sign "Father Wanted" and try to hang it up outside their house. They are approached by a man and the boys think, at first, he's a "spy" left over from WW1. But the man is so kindly, they decide that if he IS a spy, at least he's a Christmas Spy!
Of course the man turns out to be their father who had apparently been away for years struggling with alcoholism. (The mother, heart-broken with her husband's addiction, never exactly told the boys he was dead but she did let them believe that idea because she thought he would never reform and come home). But now he has returned on Christmas - not only sober but also very successful with a South American business venture. And they all lived happily ever after, thanks to their "Christmas Spy."
Finished size of the book is approx. 5
1/2
x 8 inches; opens up to approx. 11x8 inches for reading.
The author was from a very prominent Birmingham family. I doubt many copies were published - probably just for family & friends - because it's illustrated with a tipped-on real photo. No other photos in the book but there are a few 2 color Christmas decorative line cuts. This is the only copy I've ever had in my 50+ years of dealing with rare and uncommon "Alabamiana."
(Starting 18 March 2020 - though I'm social distancing myself and have absolutely no symptoms - I will rub [until dry] a fresh dollop of hand sanitizer into my hands immediately before picking your items from my shelves and packing them - and again when I mail them).
Gilt title has largely faded from front cover but it can still be read; some spots (not TOO bad) of foxing on the tinted real photo cover illustration; modest wear to edges of overlapping cover - a bit more to upper lh corner; interior pages are really nice with no missing, torn or loose leaves. Original tie-binding is holding up very well and is strongly keeping the book together.
__________________________________________________________________________
(the fine print ... [sigh] ... but please read :-)
WE REGRET WE DON'T SHIP OUT OF USA; SORRY, BUT
NO EXCEPTIONS.
FREE SHIPPING via carefully packed, heavy cardboard, bubblewrap & plastic sleeve-protected media mail with U S Postal service tracking #
I ship AT LEAST twice a week (and OCCASIONALLY 3 times per week) so turnover time or handling time is 3
business
days (Mon-Fri)
max
- often less than that.
PAYPAL IS THE MUCH PREFERRED METHOD OF PAYMENT.
Thanks!
Please pay within 4 days. Delayed? Then email me - I'll try to work with you when necessary but it helps a lot when I have contact with you. If your payment is delayed, ebay is liable to send a dun or two. PLEASE NOTE THAT THOSE ARE COMING AUTOMATICALLY FROM EBAY AND
NOT
FROM ME. I typically send out just one reminder.
PLACING A BID IS THE ETHICAL EQUIVALENT OF ACCEPTING THESE TERMS. PLEASE DON'T ASK TO ALTER THEM AFTERWARDS.
In return, as our feedback clearly shows, we'll get your item(s) to you, as described, in a safe, timely manner. Thanks!