Dickens, Charles [1812 - 1870] — A CURIOUS DANCE AROUND A CURIOUS TREE

[London]: [St. Luke's Hospital], 1860. 1st separate edition, second issue (Eckel, pp. 188-191; Gimbel B-216; VanderPoel B-465). Full deep maroon morocco binding with gilt spine stamping & elaborate gilt dentelles. TEG. Original pale pink printed wrappers bound-in. Typographical border surrounding title lettering on front wrapper. 19, [1] pp. Binders blanks before & after the pamphlet. 7-1/4" x 4-3/4". Some abrasions to spine bands, with front joint a bit tender. Pamphlet with faint vertical fold line. Bookplate. All-in-all, a VG - VG+ example. This short piece by Dickens, on St. Luke's Hospital, originally published in the January 17 1852 issue of HOUSEHOLD WORDS. With Dickens' consent, it was reissued in this pamphlet form by the Hospital management as a fund-raising mechanism. The first issue had purple wrappers, in which the 'appeal' was not highlighted from the remainder of the text and, evidently, donations suffered accordingly.. in this second issue, the wrappers are pink, the 'appeal' is boldly printed, and it was accompanied by an easy-to-use return envelope [much as we see today in the solicitations we receive.. make it easy on the mark!]. This copy from the Dickens collection of Capt J. F. Hinckley, whose holdings were dispersed by auction in 1912.