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Sunny Life Of An Invalid — Signed

$175

In stock

Description

Sunny Life of An Invalid by C. Howard Young. Case, Lockwood, and Brainard Company : Hartford, CT. 1897.

“Though I have been an invalid for a quarter of a century, I hope I have been a valid one – one good for something – not good for nothing, as the name implies.” — C. Howard Young.

Written from bed, this unusual memoir by Professor C. Howard Young is a stated attempt to share the story of his life, physical suffering, and uplifted spirit, to inspire and comfort other disabled men who might find themselves in a similar situation. Although its author was bedridden from neuralgia and heart disease, Sunny Life of An Invalid is composed of anecdotes from Young’s travel, work, and medical history providing details and insights on diet, medicine, politics, and social progress. Filled with humorous but occasionally quite dark asides (“My opinion of diphtheria is that it beats hanging as a capital punishment,”) highlights from Young’s biography include: surviving the French coup of 1851, multiple murder attempts, and a near shipwreck aboard the “City of Paris”; his opinion on mind cure healing; his collection of books and pillows; as well as his activism on behalf of the women’s suffrage movement.

First taken to events by his mother at age 5, he carried on her work for the cause after her death as a correspondent of Susan B. Anthony and a regular donor and attendee for movement events (despite his condition) and was the only man to speak at Hartford’s Woman Suffrage Convention of 1881.

Repeatedly stamped with the author’s maternal family seal and motto “Non contu sed actu”, “Not by singing, but by doing” as well as the stamp of the International Order of Kings Daughters and Sons — IHN within a Maltese cross for “In His Name” — this copy is signed on the second free endpaper with the matching portrait photosignature signed, “Yours For Progress.”

8vo, 291pp, blue cloth boards with title gilt on spine. Red bookblock edges. Stamp of author on front and back pastedowns as well as the fourth free endpaper (with signature “C. Howard Young, Hartford”) and again on title verso. Stamp of International Order of Kings Daughters and Sons appears on fourth free endpaper, pg 9, pg 58. Corners bumped. Wear to spine ends and edges. Light scuffing to back board. Small fore edge tear pg 25. Worming to fore margin pg 41. Good condition.

If you liked this book, you might also enjoy this memoir by the creator of Linoleum where he credits a psychic with predicting his invention.