8vo (191 x 140 mm). Woodcut vignette at end. (Light spotting throughout.) Original wood-engraved pictorial wrappers with mourning border (few small losses to spine, spotting to covers).

FIRST EDITION. "In the second half of the nineteenth century, the spirit of Lincoln lived on in the form of humor attributed to but doubtfully said by him....These books,...began appearing during his life and capitalized on a truth: that Lincoln was prone to telling tales, parabolic and reminiscent, as well as jokes, the color of which did not match the office of the presidency" (Abraham Lincoln, His Life in Print, p.258). RARE: We could locate only one copy sold at auction in the past century.

PROVENANCE:
Indecipherable signature at foot of upper cover ("O.W. Leslie M.D."?)

REFERENCES:
Boyd, p.112; Fish, p.85; Monaghan 884