A.F.L. [Alexander Francis LYDON] (author and illustrator). Fairy Mary’s Dream. London Groombridge & Sons. 1870

Royal 8vo. Original dark green cloth elaborately panelled and blocked in black to upper cover enclosing a decorative gilt lozenge with lettering in gilt, fine cream endpapers, all edges gilt; pp. [ii] + 30 + [i]; with fine chromolithographed frontispiece, exquisite title-page in full and vibrant peacock colours and 6 other similarly fine chromolithographed images, apparently heightened by original hand-colouring, all surrounded by gilt borders and protected by blank guards; fine wood-engraved vignettes decorating the text; a beautiful copy of a very scarce book; externally just a little rubbed at joints and corners; the text block tight and clean with occasional speckling to blank reverse of plates.

First edition. A beautiful Victorian story, told in verse, of a young girl who dreams she is a butterfly.