HAWTHORNE, Julian. A Messenger from the Unknown: A Novel. Once a Week Library Vol. IX, No. 3. May 3, 1892. (FIRST EDITION)

AUTHOR: HAWTHORNE, Julian. 

TITLE: A Messenger from the Unknown: A Novel. Once a Week Library Vol. IX, No. 3. May 3, 1892.

PUBLISHER: New York: P. F. Collier, Publisher, 1892.

DESCRIPTON: FIRST EDITION. 1 vol., 7-1/16" x 4-5/8", 112pp.(iv), bound in the publisher’s original pale green wrappers printed in black.

CONDITION: Hinges fine, head and foot of spine fine, pages toned, minor crease near center of spine, otherwise a VERY GOOD+ copy. Exceedingly scarce.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Not mentioned in Bassan's study. Not in Wright (unsurprisingly, being part of a subscription series), nor in fantasy or crime checklists. Occult and criminous novella, commissioned for this series.

An eccentric millionaire is conned by a fake swami into turning over his money to him, then persuaded to drink an elixir vitae that is actually poison. Genuine paranormal events do occur, however, during the investigation into and solution of the crime. The Once a Week Library is bibliographically significant because it commissioned a good deal of original material, but most issues are now very hard to find.

Julian Hawthorne (son of Nathaniel Hawthorne) was a prolific novelist and journalist who wrote for roughly 64 years. While he produced nearly 30 novels, many of his later and lesser-known works like this one faded into relative obscurity.