Interesting archive containing the typed draft for George William Bell's manuscript for 'Abraham Lincoln; A Poetical Interpretation,' with a few handwritten pages by Bell (including his draft of the foreword), plus Bell's handwritten letters to the Arthur H. Clark Company regarding the publication of the work. Arthur H. Clark privately published the poem for Bell in 1913 in an edition of 125 copies.
The 39-page typed draft has several of Bell's handwritten emendations throughout, as well as extensive editorial notations. The dramatic verse concludes: "A man, our very own, to earth so near, / So simple in his heartfelt tenderness, / Yet with a vision, piercing heights, a seer, / Tracing the storm clouds and the war's duress. / Seems human life a vain and worthless thing / Attuned by Lincoln to love's deathless spring!"
Bell's letters to the Arthur H. Clark Co. total ten pages and relate to the publication of the work. The most interesting letter, in part: "I am forwarding by registered mail the Ms. of my poem on Abraham Lincoln. I realize somewhat the state of the market so far as poetry concerned. Still, as Dr. Turner told me, the people may surprise us in what they demand, and the Poem of Lincoln possesses the American heart. A member Mass. State Board Education told me, after reading sections of my poem, 'If you will get that printed in a fairly cheap but attractive style, I think it could be placed in the hands of every Mass. high school student for certain parts more truly embody the best conception of Lincoln than any work so far put forth. The youth of our land should be made to memorize.'…I feel convinced that the forthcoming celebration at Gettysburg, participated in by the whole country will make easy the sale of a well gotten up and authoritative work.'" In other letters, he corrects typographical errors found in a proof, requests that an illustration of Lincoln be included, and discusses other matters related to the publication. In overall very good to fine condition.
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