Today is February 29-leap Year. So today is the tradition of Bachelor’s Day, a day that women in Ireland are allowed to ask a man to marry her. It was said that Saint Brigid of Ireland went to Saint Patrick to complain that men were becoming too shy to propose. He agreed that women could ask for a man’s hand once every 4 years-Leap Year. Perhaps, some were not too shy but were not ready yet to marry. I have several Bachelor books to review with you.
First is “Reveries of A Bachelor or A Book of the Heart” by Ik Marvel (Donald Grant Mitchell), 1879. An Interesting read. The author says that he was requested to write a new edition, after about 12 years, rewording his old stories and “reveries”. After re-reading he declined, with “Middle age does not look on life like youth…the companions that have discussed with me are heads of small families, maybe, or dapper, elderly bachelors-coaxing all the features of youth to stay with them.” They were thoughts of his youth, and should remain as such.
My next bachelor book is a treat for book collectors and history buffs, “Lives of the Bachelor Kings of England” by Agnes Strickland, published 1861. It is in beautiful condition, by a famous author of English royalty. This one is a biography of three English Kings never married: William Rufus (William II) reigned as William the Red 1087 to 1100, Edward V deposed by his uncle the Duke of Gloucester-Richard III, and Edward VI, son of Henry VIII. The later two were about 15 when died.
My third book “Bachelor Ballads” Illustrated by Blanche McManus, published 1898. This is a beautiful book of poetry, to sit back and read for an evening, and I would encourage anyone to track down this old volume. The first Poem is by Robert Hinckley Messinger, “Give Me The Old”. A short synopsis, with an illustration of roaring fire, friends toasting in a library states “Old wine to drink, old wood to burn, old books to read, and old friends to converse with.” The whole poem is not to be missed.
Also today, not specifically because of February 29 but because of being the last Thursday in February, is National Toast Day. Perhaps one remembers when Frank called for a toast “for absent friends” at dinner, and the audience tossed toast in the theater, (Rocky Horror Picture Show). Today’s twist is that it is not about burnt bread, but that I do have books on dinner toasts.
The first is a beauty, “Buttered Toasts” by Fred Emerson Brooks, published 1916. As well as having lovely illustrated boards (pictured cover), there are some wonderful toasts.
The second book is “Stories and Toasts for After Dinner” by Nathaniel C. Fowler Jr. 1914. This is a nice book for a toastmaster responsibilities for toasts and after dinner stories. There is a wide selection and samples of for all events, along with help on telling them.
The next two books are another example of selling books door to door. The book is “Toasts, Anecdotes and After Dinner Speeches, The Fraternal and Modern Banquet Orator” by W. W. Dodge, published 1903. With “Four Books in One” It is “An Original Book of Useful Helps at the Social Session and Assembly of Fraternal Orders, College Entertainments, Social Gatherings and all Banquet Occasions.” This book of 589 pages has every type of speeches, toasts, stories for any occasion that one would ever need. It explains how to be an eloquent speaker, using examples of specific talkers ie., Mark Twain and President Teddy Roosevelt.
The book on the left was a skinny ‘Salesman’s Dummy’, an example of what the book will look like on the outside, and the first several pages printed of every chapter. The salesman would knock on door and show that book, and describe the need to speak well at functions, whether at boss’s party, wedding, a fraternal lodge, or local meeting. For only $2.25 one could get the green silk book (as shown), and for only $3.75, one could enjoy Morocco leather in their library. The book on the right would be what they would get after placing their order. It is nice to be able to show both books together. Unfortunately, the paper for the real book was of poorer quality than the Salesman’s Dummy. It is much more yellowed and brittle.
As I have been married for many, many more years than I was a bachelor (and thus support marriage), I did pick out several toasts from the above books, for my lovely wife:
“Here’s to the Woman in whose eyes
My total world-investment lies:-
Whose face is ever fair to me,
No matter what her age may be:-
Her smile, the sunshine of my life-
Companion, counsel, sweetheart, wife!”
And one more, just because:
“Drink to fair woman who I think,
Is most entitled to it;
For if anything can drive me to drink,
She certainly could do it.”
One of these could be the toast for our forty-fourth year of Marriage this year. Or not. Perhaps I should just keep reading.
Librarytomes 