R. L. Gales — Skylark and Swallow

London, Erskine Macdonald Ltd. 1920 . First edition. Cloth. A very scarce signed first edition of Gales"s post-WWI devotional and nature poetry, complete with the original unclipped dust wrapper. In the publisher's original quarter cloth binding with paper covered boards. Complete with the original unclipped dust wrapper.First edition. An author's presentation copy, signed and inscribed by the author to the front free endpaper: C. E. Danks, with kindest regards, fr. R. L. G, Christmas 1919." A post-WWI collection of devotional and nature-infused poems, with titles such as: "The Beatific Vision," "Lady Day," "Noel," "A Childermas Rhyme," "The Lament of the Blessed Virgin," "The Christ of Gloucester," "The Pageant of Holy Thursday," "Maria," "Hic Requies Nostra," "The Goose-Girl," and "The Dice-Player," among others.  R. L. Gales (Robert Lucas Gales, 1868-1927) was a British journalist, critic, and poet, contributing to The Manchester Guardian, The Nation, and other literary papers. In the publisher's original quarter cloth binding with paper covered boards. Externally, very smart. Slight offsetting with the odd light spot to endpapers. Author's inscription to front free endpaper. One or two very minor handling marks to boards. Slight rubbing and bumping to extremities. Dust wrapper, very smart. One or two small closed tears and chips to head and tail of spine. Slight shelf wear to extremities. One or two slight handling marks with minor soiling. Internally, firmly bound. Pages bright and clean with one or two spots to fore edge. Near Fine . Ill.: None. Near Fine/Near Fine.