8vo. Wood engraved frontispiece and numerous illustrations in text by True Williams and others; 4pp. publisher's advertisements at end. (A few small stains to a couple of text leaves.) Original blue cloth, blocked in gilt and black, peach endpapers, gilt edges (a touch of rubbing at spine ends and fore-corners, front joint slightly skewed); cloth chemise and slipcase. Provenance: Eugene Grosman (bookplate); old ownership erasure on front free endpaper.

ONE OF ONLY 748 COPIES WITH GILT EDGES (see BAL).

FIRST AMERICAN EDITION, FIRST PRINTING, printed on wove paper, versos of half-title and preface blank, first state of "THE" in the half-title (1/16" high). "The irresponsibility, the love of odd adventure, and the sense of natural justice as opposed to the village code, which characterize the heroes of this book and its sequel Huckleberry Finn, presented a sharp contrast to the Sunday School or rags-to-riches literature which was then the common fare doled out to children... these books let fresh air into the minds of parents who had shut the door on their own childhood, and they will be classics the world over as long as there are boys" (Grolier American 79). A VERY BRIGHT COPY. BAL 3369; Johnson p.27; Peter Parley to Penrod 43.