Faded Book At A Flea Market

FADED BOOK AT A FLEA MARKET


Found at a flea market – faded book, titled: “The Long Journey of Love,”

Published 1914 – Rose Thorn Press – Hardcover Edition - Cambridge, MA
3rd Printing – Author: Royce, M. J. – Font: Juno – Dedicated To My Loving Daughter Lucille

Inside front cover label reads $2 – expensive for 1914. Smyth sewn, gold leaf pages soft to the touch, engravings at the beginning of each chapter of amorous couples

Inside front page has a personal inscription handwritten -- in blue fountain pen that reads:

To Elizabeth – Christmas 1915 – With Eternal Love, Robert –

Ancient unknown stain blurs P.S. below his name. Wonder what he could have added?

Four pages torn from Chapter 3 – True Love’s Wonders

Bread crumbs in the binding between pages 62 and 63 with a little pencil doodling in the margin of page 70 headlined – The Kiss

One burgundy dried rose petal pressed flat and stuck in the page signature folds of Chapter 12 – The Road to Affection

Small blood or wine stain on Page 112 – Love Is Forever

The name Robert was written in script three times along the side of page 147 – beautiful feminine handwriting -- with perfectly drawn little broken hearts and scribble in the side margins

A hard lead pencil-point stabbed the top of page 167 and dragged down the center of the page tearing it as it reached the foot

Pages 177 through 179 appear to have small tiny water stains, from rain, moisture or tears? The typeface is blotched, smeared and unreadable in spots

The name Robert appears on the last page scratched out with a defiant X – the Epilogue page -- and below it another name Thomas....

Now who could have done that to this old book?

Some people just don’t take proper care of their books. Books tell you so much but this one has pages torn with scribbles on pages....I suppose it was just carelessness. It smells dusty and old too. What a shame.

Wish it was in better shape.

Well, it’s just 25 cents....it would be a sin to put “The Long Journey of Love,” back into that cardboard box with the musty sultry detective magazines and paper mites ~ 

After all, it made it this far...I doubt anyone would ever miss it.

What a bargain.



Words by John Apice
C-Copyright-Registered Dec. 20th 2007 – House of Apice Poetry -- Dedicated to Charles Bukowski