One Basket.  Thirty-One Short Stories  New York: Simon and Schuster, 1947.

Second printing.

Octavo. [xvi], [1]-[583], [9, blank] pp. The book is in publisher’s full black cloth, front cover stamped in gilt, yellow, and red, spine stamped in pink and gilt. Some rubbing to cloth, light offsetting on front free endpaper from the affixed envelope on its verso. Near fine.

Presentation copy, with a lovely inscription by Ferber on the first blank: “For Floyd Millis -/who has been a/real friend in need./Sincerely -/Edna Ferber./Chicago/April 30/1947.” On the opposite page (the verso of the front free endpaper), the previous owner, Floyd Millis, has affixed an envelope from the Hotel Windermere in Chicago, and in that envelope is the following two octavo page letter on hotel stationery from Ferber to him:

“April 30, 1947

What can I say to you, dear Floyd Millis, that will convey to you my gratitude for all your kindness and goodness? Yesterday’s flowers for Uncle Julius, and the presence of your staff members at his funeral ceremony, were only another evidence of your warm and sympathetic understanding.

I’m sending you a book or two because I want to. I rather think that A Peculiar Treasure may interest you. It was written in 1938. Just now I read a paragraph in it that I hadn’t seen in years (bottom of p. 6, top of p. 7). It is rather frightingly [sic] prophetic.

My thanks to you for so much.

Edna Ferber.”

Usual fold lines on the letter, a few smudges.

This warm and meaningful letter demonstrates Ferber’s kind nature. Edna Ferber (1885-1968), was a successful and prolific author, several of whose books (Showboat, Cimarron, and Giant) were the basis of musicals and films.

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ID: 3088

$ 500