The £1,000,000 Bank-Note and Other New Stories
New York: Charles L. Webster & Company, 1893. First Edition. Frontispiece illustration by future Boy Scouts of America leader, Dan Beard. Publisher's original cloth over boards. Octavo. 260 pages [+9 pages of publisher ads].
The title story follows an honest but penniless Amercian in London who becomes the subject of a wager between two wealthy brothers. One bets that a man could live for a month with nothing but a single £1,000,000 bank-note--and never spend a farthing of it--simply by leveraging the perception of great wealth. Indeed, the American soon finds that the mere possession of the bank-note opens every door to him: he is given clothing, credit, and social invitations in the highest circles, all on speculation. Twain skewers society's obsession with image over substance.
The other stories included in this volume are:
"Mental Telegraphy"
"A Cure for the Blues"
"The Enemy Conquered; or. Love Triumphant"
"About All Kinds of Ships"
"Playing Courier"
"The German Chicago"
"A Petition to the Queen of England"
"A Majestic Literary Fossil"
This is the first print appearance of many of these stories, and first book appearance for all of them.
Ref. BAL 3436; MCBRIDE p. 158.
Bound in tan cloth over boards with spine titled in gilt, upper board stamped in gilt, black and brown. Some mild soiling to boards, light foxing to endpapers, and a cool vintage bookplate on front pastedown. Hinges sound. Very good to near fine overall.
Item #1914
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