THE GHOST-HOUSE OR THE STORY OF ROSE LICHEN. N. p. [New York: A. D. Randolph & Co.], 1893. First edition. A presentation copy with signed inscription by "the author" to "Miss Durand" dated Feb. 1894 on the front free endpaper. "Overly sentimental tragic love story with heavy religious overtones set on Batton Island along the St. Johns River near the time of the 1877 yellow fever epidemic in Jacksonville, Florida. Paul Manners, a well-off young man, falls in love with Rose Lichen, a blind girl he meets while hunting on the island, and the two are married, living in a log house Paul builds for his new bride. On a business trip to town, Paul falls under the spell of the piano music played by Elsie Heitzen, a friend's daughter, and when he returns his home on the island, he confesses his attraction to Elsie to Rose, who trusts Paul completely and has faith in his love for her. To rid himself of his confused feelings for Elise, Paul decides he must visit Elsie one final time and again listen to her playing, but he finds himself trapped in town because quarantine is suddenly imposed due to an outbreak of yellow fever. When he is finally able to return home after a month, Rose has died. The 'ghost' in the title of Mildred's novella refers to some of the island locals' belief that Rose's ghost haunts the house Paul built, waiting for him to come home, but there is nothing supernatural at all in this book. Utterly dreadful" (Boyd White). Wright (III) 3723. A very good copy. (#170270).
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