Before leaving for summer vacation to the family retreat in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, the self-proclaimed birthplace of American Democracy, my mother had me order copies of A Quaker Book of Wisdom for my sisters, my brother and myself. While she has sent all four of us plenty of clippings from Dear Abby and Anne Landers over the years (along with other much needed but seldom heeded spiritual advice), this book meant something special to her, as we have ancestors who practiced the Quaker faith on her side of the family. Portsmouth is also home to a large Quaker contingency, summer retreat, and Evangelical Friends Church. My prior knowledge of the Quaker faith was limited to the icon of the long white-haired, top hatted, asexual figure on the label of Quaker Oats, and I also knew that instead of going to church, they held their worship services mostly in silence, only speaking if the Spirit moved them to share something important with the community. While I only had time to read the first four chapters of the book before vacation, it peaked my interest in extolling the virtues of simplicity, service, common sense, telling the truth at any cost, obeying your conscience, and learning to quiet the mind to awaken the Spirit, or inner light, that is inside of all of us. So apparently it was about more than warm, soupy breakfasts that desperately needed a lump of sugar or two.
Perhaps it was the Spirit inside of me that led me into D. Kelley books in Newport, RI on a weekday afternoon during my 10 day vacation. I had already been to several library sales in the area and did not need to buy any more books, especially since I had to ship them home, but when the urge to buy books comes, I can no longer resist. I had been to this particular bookshop before, and appreciated its handpicked selection of world history, Irish Authors, Art/Architecture books, nautical books, and the occasional antiquarian preppy find. Last year I passed up a book on the beginnings of Lawn Tennis which I regret to this day. Best of all, the prices in the shop are more than fair. The kind and good-hearted owner, who I chatted with at a sale, does not do much Internet selling, but bases his prices on the lowest priced copy online, minus an additional 20% or so. For example, a book that would be online for $60 would cost $45 in the store. Add the standard 20% trade discount for fellow booksellers, and I felt compelled to do some shopping.
My first couple of finds were simply additions to personal collections and niches I am developing, a few fairly common books on Lewis and Clark, an interesting and humorous book about social behavior at bars and pubs, a Christopher Bohjalian novel, and a few gifts for friends and family. Next I discovered several boxes on the floor, most likely from a recently acquired personal collection. I was carefully eyeballing the goods when a tiny blue cloth volume caught my attention. It was entitled Advice of William Penn to His Children. William Penn, one of the founding fathers of our country and the original ruler of Pennsylvania, was a pacifist Quaker and was so greatly persecuted in his native England that he sailed to New Jersey and eventually established one of the earliest colonies in America.
Upon further inspection, opening the book revealed a mysterious inscription on the front free endpaper. I only noticed the last name Wharton (I immediately thought of the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania) and the modest price tag in the upper right hand corner, and decided to make my purchase without further ado. When I arrived home to sort through my treasures of the day, I took a closer look at the text, which is not unlike Smith's book, albeit with more dated language. Here are a few choice excerpts-
"So soon as you wake, retire your mind into a pure silence from all thoughts and ideas of worldly things, and in that frame wait upon God, to feel his good presence, to lift up your hearts to him, and commit your whole self into his blessed care and protection."
"Return no answer to anger, unless with much meakness, which often turns it away"
"Cast up your incomes and live on half- if you can, one-third- reserving the rest for casualties, charities, portions"
"Make few resolutions, but keep them strictly."
"If you incline to marry, then marry your inclination rather than your interest; I mean what you love, rather than what is rich. But love for virtue, temper, education, and person, before wealth or quality, and be sure you are beloved again."
This 64 page volume, published by the Friends Book Association (no publication date stated) is chock full of some of the most practical advice I have ever read, and manages to be spiritual without being the least bit pretentious or preachy. I was afraid to read the copy I held in my hands too closely however, as the inscriber of the signature had yet to be identified.
My detective work was as simple as pointing my browser to http://www.wikipedia.com/ and entering the name Deborah F. Wharton. I was excited, but not all too surprised to find a full page entry, with an entire section on her connection to the Newport area. Eureka! Deborah was a busy woman: "Quaker minister, suffragist, social reformer, proponent of women’s rights, and mother of industrialist Joseph Wharton." She also helped establish Swarthmore College, which holds special meaning to my family, as my grandmother Louise Gannon was instrumental in starting a women's lacrosse team at Swarthmore. My parents still have her old wooden lacrosse stick at their house in New Orleans.
The full inscription of the book is "Mr. Wharton Smith- from his Grand Mother- Deborah F. Wharton." Wharton Smith is actually pictured on the steps of the Newport home in the Wikipedia entry, talk about a picture coming to life. In my imagination, I'd love to think that William Penn handed Wharton this copy on his East Coast book tour, however Penn died in 1718 and Wharton was born in 1795. I have no doubt that this particular volume was a treasured book among the Wharton family, and I can only imagine that it was the "Inner Light" working inside of me on this eventful day of book scouting. (Or perhaps I am abusing this Inner Light to the point of sacrilege. I will look to the book for advice.) This is quite possibly the most exciting and personally fulfilling book I have encountered in all of my years of scouting, and I am hesitant to offer this book for sale, as it would be an honor to keep it in our family. However, a bookseller must pay his rent, so I am offering this unique gem for sale at a price which I believe to be fair, but also a price that may allow me to keep the book on my own shelf for some time. Here is the listing:
http://www.lowestcostbooks.net/si/0016855.html
And for a more affordable reading copy, here is the link:
Perhaps it was the Spirit inside of me that led me into D. Kelley books in Newport, RI on a weekday afternoon during my 10 day vacation. I had already been to several library sales in the area and did not need to buy any more books, especially since I had to ship them home, but when the urge to buy books comes, I can no longer resist. I had been to this particular bookshop before, and appreciated its handpicked selection of world history, Irish Authors, Art/Architecture books, nautical books, and the occasional antiquarian preppy find. Last year I passed up a book on the beginnings of Lawn Tennis which I regret to this day. Best of all, the prices in the shop are more than fair. The kind and good-hearted owner, who I chatted with at a sale, does not do much Internet selling, but bases his prices on the lowest priced copy online, minus an additional 20% or so. For example, a book that would be online for $60 would cost $45 in the store. Add the standard 20% trade discount for fellow booksellers, and I felt compelled to do some shopping.
My first couple of finds were simply additions to personal collections and niches I am developing, a few fairly common books on Lewis and Clark, an interesting and humorous book about social behavior at bars and pubs, a Christopher Bohjalian novel, and a few gifts for friends and family. Next I discovered several boxes on the floor, most likely from a recently acquired personal collection. I was carefully eyeballing the goods when a tiny blue cloth volume caught my attention. It was entitled Advice of William Penn to His Children. William Penn, one of the founding fathers of our country and the original ruler of Pennsylvania, was a pacifist Quaker and was so greatly persecuted in his native England that he sailed to New Jersey and eventually established one of the earliest colonies in America.
Upon further inspection, opening the book revealed a mysterious inscription on the front free endpaper. I only noticed the last name Wharton (I immediately thought of the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania) and the modest price tag in the upper right hand corner, and decided to make my purchase without further ado. When I arrived home to sort through my treasures of the day, I took a closer look at the text, which is not unlike Smith's book, albeit with more dated language. Here are a few choice excerpts-
"So soon as you wake, retire your mind into a pure silence from all thoughts and ideas of worldly things, and in that frame wait upon God, to feel his good presence, to lift up your hearts to him, and commit your whole self into his blessed care and protection."
"Return no answer to anger, unless with much meakness, which often turns it away"
"Cast up your incomes and live on half- if you can, one-third- reserving the rest for casualties, charities, portions"
"Make few resolutions, but keep them strictly."
"If you incline to marry, then marry your inclination rather than your interest; I mean what you love, rather than what is rich. But love for virtue, temper, education, and person, before wealth or quality, and be sure you are beloved again."
This 64 page volume, published by the Friends Book Association (no publication date stated) is chock full of some of the most practical advice I have ever read, and manages to be spiritual without being the least bit pretentious or preachy. I was afraid to read the copy I held in my hands too closely however, as the inscriber of the signature had yet to be identified.
My detective work was as simple as pointing my browser to http://www.wikipedia.com/ and entering the name Deborah F. Wharton. I was excited, but not all too surprised to find a full page entry, with an entire section on her connection to the Newport area. Eureka! Deborah was a busy woman: "Quaker minister, suffragist, social reformer, proponent of women’s rights, and mother of industrialist Joseph Wharton." She also helped establish Swarthmore College, which holds special meaning to my family, as my grandmother Louise Gannon was instrumental in starting a women's lacrosse team at Swarthmore. My parents still have her old wooden lacrosse stick at their house in New Orleans.
The full inscription of the book is "Mr. Wharton Smith- from his Grand Mother- Deborah F. Wharton." Wharton Smith is actually pictured on the steps of the Newport home in the Wikipedia entry, talk about a picture coming to life. In my imagination, I'd love to think that William Penn handed Wharton this copy on his East Coast book tour, however Penn died in 1718 and Wharton was born in 1795. I have no doubt that this particular volume was a treasured book among the Wharton family, and I can only imagine that it was the "Inner Light" working inside of me on this eventful day of book scouting. (Or perhaps I am abusing this Inner Light to the point of sacrilege. I will look to the book for advice.) This is quite possibly the most exciting and personally fulfilling book I have encountered in all of my years of scouting, and I am hesitant to offer this book for sale, as it would be an honor to keep it in our family. However, a bookseller must pay his rent, so I am offering this unique gem for sale at a price which I believe to be fair, but also a price that may allow me to keep the book on my own shelf for some time. Here is the listing:
http://www.lowestcostbooks.net/si/0016855.html
And for a more affordable reading copy, here is the link:
