Charity Shop: Best find of the week.

I have a predilection for charity shops and I really do not mind who knows it. I have been teased about knowing the number of such shops in my town,18 to be exact at this moment in time and yes, I have been into all of them. Not on one day or even one week, I do have other things to do. But I regard my hunting ground as a useful source of inspiration for writing, photography for just for sheer pleasure.

                                          



This week I found these two titles: Little Lord Fauntleroy and Good Wives . The attraction firstly the covers, then the authors Frances Hodgson Burnett and L.M.Alcott respectively.The Secret Garden has always been a favourite of mine and when I went on maternity leave from my post as a buyer as a goodbye present I requested a copy of this book, not for my child to be but for me. I have recently bought The Making of a Marchioness also by Frances Hodgson Burnett after watching The Making of a Lady at Christmas  and then attending a Persephone Lunch with the producer and  lead actress of the film to hear about their experiences during filming.With all this in mind I spent a wonderful afternoon sitting on the sofa reading the exploits of Cedric, the old Earl of Dorincourt and Dearest, Cedric's mother. I was transported to another time and place and that was called childhood, my secret world of fairy-tales and I loved every minute.Who could not be charmed by the delightful illustrations by Reginald B.Birch.

                                          

There is nothing wrong in reading or re-reading children's books and as this world we now live in becomes more fast paced and violent I am going to retreat a little and hibernate with all things comfortable.

  I was intrigued to see at the back of the book a list of other titles by Hodgson Burnett. I could just have looked this up on Wikipedia but sometimes information that is available at the tap of a finger is not so exciting or meaningful as that which is found almost by accident. So now I am on the look out for The Queen Silver-Bell Series and Little Saint Elizabeth.

Both books have been owned by the same person, actually the same two people, their names are inside. I am wondering whether to write mine in. I do not know these people but I rather like that I have chosen part of their library and I would like to assure them that I will look after these editions and they will sit on my shelf and by my bedside to be read and enjoyed.In another life-time we might have been friends as we share the same taste in literature. And one afternoon soon, I will allow myself to re-read Little Women  and then start Good Wives by L.M Alcott and at that point I shall share the beautiful end papers of Good Wives.