The Enchanted Places, The Path Through The Trees, The Hollow on The Hill, Three Volumes Inscribed By Christopher Milne

Published by Methuen, London, UK, 1974, 1979, 1982. Three volumes. First editions. Original cloth. Dustwrappers. Sizes: 14.7cm x 22.3cm, 14.7cm x 22.3cm, 14.7cm x 22.3cm. pp. 169, 287, 157. His autobiography. ‘The Enchanted Places’ and ‘The Path Through The Trees’ are both signed and dated in the years of publication to the title page by Christopher Milne and ‘The Hollow On The Hill’ is inscribed in the year of publication ‘For Marjorie, Chief Librarian And Keeper of The Archives – With The Author’s Fondest Love, Christopher, 6th July, 1982’. A wonderful association copy in which Christopher Milne acknowledges the importance of Marjorie and her role as a curator of the archive of his father. ‘Marjorie’ was A. A. Milne’s niece, whom he preferred to call ‘Margery’. From birth she was the recipient of many letters from her affectionate uncle many years before he began writing stories for children: “My Dear Margery, – When I heard that you really had arrived, I got out the broken teacup, filled it at the bath, and drank “To my niece!” with the greatest enthusiasm possible. Had I been on the stage I should then have hurled the cup over my shoulder; and later on the scene-shifter would have come and collected the bits. As it was, I left that part out; and you will forgive me, will you not, dear baby, when you hear that it was your uncle’s last cup, and he in a bad way financially.” (From ‘The Day’s Play’, A. A. Milne, 1910). ‘Margery’ became Marjorie Murray-Rust who would refer to Christopher Milne as ‘a shy but thoroughly brave man, attentive to his family and deeply concerned about conservation’ and the two were very close. In ‘The Enchanted Places’, Milne speaks of his childhood, of Pooh and of Christopher Robin. He refers to ‘The Path Through The Trees’ as a form of sequel and about the ‘non-Pooh’ part of his life, the war years with the Royal Engineers in North Africa and Italy and the setting up of his bookshop in Dartmouth. The final volume, ‘The Hollow On The Hill’ is illustrated throughout with photographs by James Ravilious and focuses more on Milne’s spiritual life and his hope that ‘Man’s advance over the surface of the globe… is first halted and then put into reverse… when fish come again to our rivers’. Bindings all nice and tight, with slight foxing to the fore-edges. Pages nice and clean. Near fine, tight, clean copies in near fine, very slightly creased and rubbed dustwrappers. An extraordinary and unique set of the autobiography of A. A. Milne’s ‘Christopher Robin’. Very scarce thus.