Mrs. Opie [Amelia Alderson Opie] — Simple Tales: By Mrs Opie

London, Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, 1806 . First edition. Leather. A very scarce first edition of this collection of short stories from prolific author, abolitionist and bluestocking Amelia Opie, complete in four volumes. The very scarce first edition of this work. Complete in four volumes. A collection of twelve short works of fiction, including The Black Velvet Pelisse, The Death-Bed, The Fashionable Wife and Unfashionable Husband, The Mother and Son, The Soldier"s Return and Murder Will Out. The stories concentrate on domestic and emotional life, particularly marriage, family relationships, love, duty, loss and the consequences of personal conduct. Contemporary reviewers remarked upon Opie"s treatment of ordinary life and her characteristic use of pathos and sentiment. Amelia Opie was an English author and abolitionist who published numerous novels in the Romantic period. A Whig supporter and Bluestocking, Opie was also a leading abolitionist in Norwich.  In half calf bindings, with marbled paper covered boards. Lacking spine labels, with labels of volumes II-IV supplied in handwritten paper. Losses of calf to back strip heads and tails, with rubbing to boards. Front boards of each volume, and rear board of volume IV detached but present, with remaining joints starting and boards tenderly held. Internally, firmly bound. Pages a touch age toned due to paper type, but clean. Fair . Ill.: None. Fair .